School  report 


-V^  t :  ‘A  •;  tv]-1*  :'  ;.  ?\  -r  ; .-. 

Champaign  ca.III"  Supt. 


of  schools 


Return  this  book  on  or  before  the 
Latest  Date  stamped  below.  A 
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LIBRARY 
OF  THE 


SCHOOL  REPORT 


TO  THE 


or 


CHAMPAIGN  COUNTY’,  ILLINOIS, 


BY 


E.  LEAL,  LATE  COUNTY SUPERINTENDENT  OF  SCHOOLS. 


3S5IS’ 


r  2  — ~  _ 


(ANCIENT.) 


a 


(  MU  I  ERA.  I 


U  R  BAN  A,  ILL. 

o.  w.  FLYNN  *  00..  PRINTERS  BOOK  B:M.*K8  AND  ENGRAVERS. 


1874 


HUNT  &  HOLLISTER, 

DEALERS  IN 

DRUGS,  BOOKS,  STATIONERY, 

AND  A  GENERAL  ASSORTMENT  OF 

FANCY  ARTICLES. 

e 

PARTICULAR  ATTENTION  paid  to  PRESCRIPTIONS. 

ALSO 


PERIODICAL,  SHEET  MUSIC 

AND 


STUDENTS  CORDIALLY  INVITED  TO  CALL. 


No.  20  MAIN  ST.,  USB  ANA,  ILL. 


THE  ILLINOIS  SCHOOLMASTER. 

...  %■■■••• 

' 

The  State  Superintendent  publishes  his  decisions  and  his  Circulars  in  it.  It  is 

*  * 

full  of  educational  news, 

STATE  A  X  I  )  GENEEAL. 

Its  articles  are  of  great  value  to  teachers  of 


It  is  lively,  wide-awake  and  independent.  Every  Teacher,  Board  of  Trustees  and 

Board  of  Directors  should  take  it. 

Price,  $1.50  per  year  in  Advance. 

ADDRESS, 

JOHN  W.  COOK  &  EDWIN  C.  HEWETT, 

O 

EDITORS  AND  PROPRIETORS, 


LIBRARY 
OF  THE 

UNIVERSITY  OF  ILLINOIS 


J||,_-  S (/$&)! r\ien<k&vd~  °^r  schools* 


CVlOrt\  paiV^  COylH-r  - 

SCHOOL  REPORT 


V  1  v 


TO  THE 


BOARD  OF  SUPERVISORS 


OF 

pHAMPAIGN  pOUNTY,  JCLINOIS, 

BY 

T.  R.  LEAL,  late  County  Superintendent  of  Schools, 


To  the  Board  of  Supervisors,  Champaign  County,  Illinois: 

Gentlemen. — According  to  your  request  I  have  caused  to  be  print¬ 
ed  an  historical,  statistical  and  financial  report  of  the  schools  of  this 
county,  together  with  suggestions  to  parents,  teachers  and  school  officers. 
The  limits  you  prescribed — a  pamphlet  of  thirty-two  pages — forbid  a 
very  extended  history  of  school  matters.  I  have,  therefore,  confined  my¬ 
self  mostly  to  that  part  which  is  unwritten,  and  held  in  the  memory  of 
men  and  women  now  living,  who  are  fast  passing  away,  leaving,  largely, 
that  part  of  the  history  which  is  a  matter  of  record  on  township  and  dis¬ 
trict  books,  to  be  compiled  by  some  one  in  the  future.  The  history  of 
each  township  is  scant  and  meager,  from  the  fact  that  I  was  limited 
in  the  size  of  my  report.  The  statistics  are  condensed  as  much  as  possi¬ 
ble.  The  suggestions  are  brief  outlines  of  some  of  the  duties  that  have 
been  urged  upon  teachers,  parents  and  school  officers  during  my  official 
work. 

I  have  procured  engravings  of  twelve  school  buildings,  besides 
the  LIniversity  buildings,  with  which  to  illustrate  the  work.  This  I 
had  not  thought  of  doing  when  you  ordered  the  report  to  be 
printed.  The  engraving  was  done  by  Wm.  H.  Tyler  &  Co.,  of  Chicago, 
who  have  done  a  better  job  than  they  agreed  to  do  when  I  engaged 
their  services.  The  engravings  represent  the  advance  the  county  has 
made,  both  educationally  and  financially,  more  than  a  minutely  written 
description  of  each  building  could  have  done.  It  will  necessarily  en¬ 
large  the  report -beyond  its  original  design,  but  I  think  it  will  pay  for  the 
extra  cost.  The  log  houses  and  slab  seat,  will  show  the  boys  and  girls  of 
the  present  time,  how  the  early  settlers  got  their  education,  and  have  a 
tendency  to  make  them  prize  their  privileges. 

Hoping  the  cause  of  education  may  be  benefited  by  this  report, 

I  am,  respectfully,  Yours, 


T.  R.  LEA! 


FINANCIAL. 


RECEIPTS. 


Years. 

Am’t  State  Fund  dis- 

Ain’t  Special  Tax 

From  all  other 

TOTAL  RECEIPTS. 

tributed  by  Co.  Sup’t. 

Levy. 

sources. 

1842 . 

144  68 

t 

144  68 

1843 . 

181  57 

•  r-i 

CS 

181  57 

1844 . 

123  36 

a> 

bi) 

123  36 

1845 . 

327  32 

o 

GO 

327  32 

1846 . 

154  02 

«<-  fcio 

3 

154  02 

1847 . 

188  55 

°  C3 

Sh 

188  55 

1848 . 

189  02 

r-> 

o 

m 

189  02 

1849 . 

195  10 

0> 

195  10 
220  37 

1850 . 

220  37 

g 

O 

1851 . 

340  01 

Szq 

GO 

340  01 

1852 . 

313  01 

668  00 

Ct 

<£> 

981  01 

1853 . 

293  95 

1,007  49 

a 

1,301  44 

1854 . 

131  79 

972  17 

o 

1,103  96 

1855 . 

177  87 

3,868  55 

4,046  42 

1856 . 

323  04 

2,619  77 

2,942  74 

1857 . 

6,804  14 

2,214  91 

3,371  95 

12,391  00 

1858 . 

7,123  72 

11,569  41 

200  35 

18,893  48 

1859 . 

7,189  91 

12,346  49 

9,788  74 

29,325  14 

1860 . 

6,811  17 

22.129  06 

28,940  23 

1861 . 

8,694  24 

11,687  66 

2,141  10 

22,523  00 

1862 .  ... 

7,403  45 

11,898  82 

13,192  73 

32,495  00 

1863 . 

7,473  51 

20,515  31 

27,988  82 

1864 . . 

8,464  82 

81,527  27 

39,992  09 

1865 . 

8,530  01 

49,492  90 

58,022  91 

1866 . 

10,058  81 

61,323  85 

71,382  66 

1867 . 

10,414  45 

82,303  23 

92,717  68 

1868 . 

12,324  56 

69,992  40 

11,703  04 

94,020  00 

1869 . . 

12,280  00 

88,714  45 

12,757  55 

113,752  00 

1870 . 

12,546  00 

94,139  85 

19,473  28 

126,159  08 

1871 . 

12,055  39 

108,281  90 

40,701  24 

161,038  53 

1872 . 

13,677  05 

99,897  76 

86,589  18 

200,163  99 

1873 . 

13,670  26 

106,094  50 

52,848  66 

172  613  42 

168,825  15 

893,265  68 

252,767  77 

1,314,858  60 

EXPENDITURES- 

Years. 

Am’t  paid  Teachers. 

I’aid  for  new  School 
Houses. 

Other  Expenses. 

TOTAL. 

1857 . 

9,568  00 

2,823  24 

12,391  24 

1858 . 

12,131  73 

10,653  60 

6,733  99 

22,785  33 
29,080  68 

1859 . 

13,271  23 

9,075  46 

1860 . 

14,142  00 

5,939  00 

3,597  00 

23,678  00 

1861 . 

14,335  00 

2,249  00 

4,675  00 

21,259  00 

1 862 . 

15,015  00 

1,438  00 

14,009  00 

30,462  00 

1863 . 

15,531  00 

590  00 

7,461  00 

23,204  00 

1864 . 

17,772  00 

2,659  00 

7,998  00 

28,429  00 

1865 . 

30,531  00 

10,296  00 

5,689  00 

46,516  00 

1866 . 

31,012  00 

15,894  00 

19,944  00 

66,850  00 

1867 . 

37,047  00 

13,318  00 

17,471  00 

67,836  00 

1868 . 

42,254  00 

21,999  00 

20,238  00 

84,491  00 

1869 . 

47,612  00 

23,974  00 
26,025  90 

18,471  50 
27,021  12 

90,057  50 
104,060  30 

1870 . 

51,013  28 

1871 . 

58,487  71 

68,135  64 

126,623  35 

1872 . 

65,135  88 

'N 

oc 

CO 

lr~- 

59,131  31 

151,949  43 

1873 . 

7,224  01 

69,022  31 

143,638  93 

532,305  44 

186,243  74 

854,762  58 

1,073,311  76 

The  data  for  Expenditures  from  1812  to  1857  is  so  meager  and  unreliable  that  we  forbear  to  give  it. 


s 


379,773 


3  357s 


£e-p 


•  a 


SALES  OF  THE  SIXTEENTH  SECTIONS. 


Township. 

Time  of  Sale. 

Amount  of  Sales. 

Av.  per  Acre. 

No.  Acres. 

20—  7 

July  22,  1836. 

3,291  20 

5.14 

640 

18—10 

Aug.  9,  1836. 

1,420  00 

2.21  7-8 

640 

19—  9 

Oct.  21,  1836. 

1,391  60 

2.16 

640 

18—11 

Feb.  21,  1845. 

705  87 

2.20 

160 

19—10 

Oct.  2,  1847. 

870  00 

1.34 

040 

22—14 

Oct.  19,  1849. 

1,222  70 

1.95 

640 

20—  9 

Sept.  5,  1851. 

1,310  00 

2.04 

640 

21—  8 

•June  1,  1852. 

800  00 

1.25 

640 

18—14 

Sept.  20,  1852. 

1,136  40 

1.77  1-2 

640 

21—  7 

Nov.  4,  1852. 

1,960  00 

3.06  1-4 

640 

19—14 

Feb.  19.  1853. 

1,828  00 

2.85  5-8 

640 

20—  8 

Apr.  18,  1853. 

1,987  60 

3.09  5-8 

640 

17—  7 

Nov.  2,  1853. 

1,275  20 

1.99  1-4 

640 

19—  8 

Feb.  27,  1855. 

5,208  00 

8-13  3-4 

640 

22—  8 

Mar.  1,  1855. 

1,992  00 

3.11  6-32 

640 

21—14 

Aug.  23,  1856. 

3,258  00 

5.09  1-16 

640 

20—14 

Sept.  20,  1856. 

5,789  50 

9.66 

640 

18—  9 

Oct.  4,  1856. 

6,360  00 

9.93  3-4 

640 

18—  8 

Mar.  7,  1857. 

6,991  60 

10.81  1-2 

640 

22—11 

“  19,  1857. 

2,795  00 

17.46  1-8 

1 60 

17—  9 

“  26,  1857. 

6,564  00 

10.25  5-8 

640 

22—10 

“  18,  1857. 

4,682  00 

7.31  9-16 

640 

22—  7 

Apr.  21,  1857. 

2,714  00 

4.24  1-16 

640 

19—  7 

“  23,  1857. 

5,720  00 

8.93  3-4 

640 

17—  8 

“  25,  1857. 

9,344  00 

14.60 

640 

20—10 

Sept.  23,1864. 

3,040  00 

4.  /  5 

640 

22—  9 

July  11,  1865. 

6,400  00 

10.00 

640 

21—  9 

Jan.  21,  1867. 

5,404  00 

8.44  3-8 

640 

18—  7 

“  15,  1868. 

4,532  00 

7.08  1-8 

640 

17—14 

“  26,  1869. 

13,830  00 

21.60  15-16 

640 

21—10 

Sept.  20, 1869. 

9,030  00 

14.10  15-16 

640 

20—11 

July  14,  1871. 

3,230  00 

20.00  3-16 

160 

21—11 

Aug.  24,  1871. 

4,280  00 

26.75 

160 

17—10 

June  13,  1871.  - 

9,660  00 

15.09  3-8 

640 

17—11 

May  20,  1873. 

3.200  00 

20.00 

160 

19—11 

741  33 

4.63  5-16 

160 

Total . 

. 143,964  00 

7.141— 

20,160 

GENERAL  STATISTICS. 


No.  Persons  un¬ 

Colored 

No.  persons  be¬ 

Years. 

der  21  years  of 

persons 
under  21. 

tween  6  and  21 

1  856 

age. 

3,724 

yrs.  of  age. 

1857 

4,646 

3,356 

1858 

5,028 

3,554 

1859 

6,441 

4,288 

1 860 

7,160 

4,624 

1861 

7,938 

5,179 

1862 

8,797 

5,554 

1863 

9,189 

5,207 

1864 

9,157 

6  090 

1865 

10,783 

12 

7,909 

1866 

11,150 

60 

7,515 

1867 

11,477 

22 

8,378 

1868 

13,339 

62 

9,225 

1869 

15,364 

131 

10,911 

1870 

16,491 

102 

10,693 

1871 

17,157 

114 

11,495 

1872 

18,452 

135 

12.413 

1873 

19,997 

* 

13,147 

*  Not  taken  separately. 


No.  schools 

Male  Pupils 

Female  pupils 

Total  num¬ 
ber  pupils 
enrolled. 

sustained. 

enrolled. 

enrolled. 

25 

1,424 

1,202 

2,626 

68 

1,555 

1,422 

2,977 

91 

2.256 

1,658 

3.914 

91 

91 

1,991 

1,689 

3,680 

3,249 

97 

2,329 

2,172 

4,501 

107 

2,630 

2,131 

4,761 

102 

2,714 

2,517 

5,231 

127 

2,510 

2,418 

4,928 

132 

3,066 

3,023 

6,089 

131 

3,402 

3,210 

6,612 

149 

3,899 

3  654 

7,553 

167 

4,550 

4, ’471 

9,021 

172 

4,392 

4,043 

8,435 

181 

5,556 

4,354 

9,  10 

188 

5,252 

4,775 

10,  27 

203 

5,361 

5,340 

10,  01 

214 

5,255 

4,952 

10,  07 

4 


Years. 

No.  of  male 
teachers. 

No.  of  female 
teachers. 

Total  number 
teachers. 

No.  Graded 
Schools. 

Total  No.  of 
School  *?• 

houses. 

of  pri- 
schools. 

No.  of  pu¬ 
pils  in  pri¬ 
vate  sch’s. 

1856 

34 

29 

63 

1857 

46 

33 

79 

40 

1858 

64 

62 

128 

54 

1859 

82 

66 

148 

4 

70 

1 

30 

1860 

57 

51 

138 

81 

1861 

78 

55 

133 

5 

82 

4 

99 

1862 

75 

100 

175 

6 

98 

5 

154 

1863 

63 

100 

163 

6 

97 

5 

210 

1864 

70 

124 

194 

6 

110 

4 

115 

1865 

57 

126 

183 

7 

112 

5 

140 

1866 

90 

135 

225 

7 

130 

o 

O 

100 

1867 

85 

152 

237 

7 

141 

1868 

108 

158 

266 

9 

155 

9 

23 

1869 

137 

156 

293 

9 

165 

6 

90 

1870 

133 

197 

330 

12 

178 

3 

93 

1871 

151 

199 

350 

12 

186 

5 

136 

1872 

164 

220 

384 

12 

202 

5 

130 

1873 

163 

251 

414 

14 

214 

3 

133 

Years. 

Estimated  cost  per 
pupil  computed 
from  census  and 
total  receipts. 

Actual  cost  com¬ 
puted  from  en¬ 
rol  iments  and  to¬ 
tal  expenditures. 

Highest  month¬ 
ly  wages  paid 
any  male  teacher 

Highest  month¬ 
ly  wages  paid 
any  female 
teacher. 

Lowest  month-  Lowest 

ly  wages  paid  monthly  wa- 
any  male  ges  paid  any 
teacher,  female  teacher 

1857 

3.69 

4.17 

90.00 

48.00 

16.00 

11.61 

1858 

3.52 

5.53 

47.50 

34.29 

18.00 

13.00 

1859 

6.83 

8.15 

90.00 

50  00 

18.00 

14.00 

1860 

6.23 

7.28 

90.00 

30.00 

22.00 

16.00 

1861 

4.34 

4.86 

80.00 

33.00 

14.00 

12.00 

1862 

5.85 

6.26 

75.00 

33.00 

15.00 

12.00 

1863 

5.37 

4.80 

75.00 

30.00 

16.00 

12.00 

1864 

6.56 

5.44 

125.00 

50.00 

16.00 

12.00 

1865 

7.34 

7.63 

100.00 

50.00 

20.00 

15.00 

1866 

9.57 

10.11 

135.00 

50.00 

20.00 

14.00 

1867' 

11.09 

8.98 

100  00 

51.00 

20.00 

12.00 

1868 

10.19 

9.36 

100.00 

65.00 

20.00 

16.00 

1869 

10.42 

10.67 

112.00 

55.00 

22.00 

20.00 

1870 

11.79 

10.83 

120.00 

55,00 

20.00 

20,00 

1871 

14.01 

12.62 

150.00 

50.00 

25.00 

20.00 

1872 

16.12 

14.19 

133.33 

70.00 

25.00 

20.00 

1873 

13.129 

14,072 

133.33 

60.00 

30.00 

20.00 

150.00 

70.00 

14.00 

11.61 

MEMORANDA. 


Total  Value  of  property  in  the  county  in  1853, . $1,771,860 

Total  value  of  property  in  the  county  in  1873, . . . 20,000,000 

In  1859,  number  of  graded  schools  was  4,  in  1873,  14. 

Number  of  illiterates  reported  for  1872,  28,  1873,  26. 


For  several  years  after  a  public  fund  had  been  created  by  act  of  the  Legislature 
the  schools  were  suspended  when  the  public  money  was  exhausted,  or  else  run  b}r  a 
rate  bill  paid  by  the  patrons  of  the  school.  For  many  years  this  rate  bill  has  been 
dropped  and  the  deficit  made  up  by  direct  taxation.  The  cost  per  capita  is  made  to 
include  the  building  and  furnishing  of  school-houses,  purchase  of  lots  and  fuel,  as  well 
as  teachers’  wages,  which  up  to  1865  were  not  as  great  as  afterwards,  owing  to  the 
fact  that  more  costly  houses  were  built  after  that  date. 


COMMON  SCHOOL  FUND. 


The  productive  principal  of  the  Common  School  Fund  of  Champaign 
County,  Illinois,  consists,  at  this  time,  of  the  following  items  and 
amounts  : 

Township  Funds,  being  the  net  proceeds  of  the  sale  of  Section 
Sixteen  in  each  Congressional  township  of  the  county,  the  same  having 
been  donated  to  the  county  for  common  school  purposes,  by  an  act  of 
Congress  in  1818 — $143,964. 

County  Funds,  created  by  act  of  the  Legislature,  February  7th, 

1 835 ,  which  provided  that  the  teachers  should  not  receive  from  the 
public  fund  more  than  half  the  amount  due  them  for  teaching  the  pre¬ 
ceding  year,  and  that  the  surplus  should  constitute  the  principal  of  a  new 
fund,  to  be  called  the  County  School  Fund — $1,212.44. 

Swamp  Land  Fund,  being  the  balance  of  the  proceeds  of  the  sale 
of  swamp  and  over-flowed  lands  in  Champaign  County,  Illinois,  and 
donated  to  the  common  school  fund  by  the  Board  of  Supervisors  of  said 
county  in  the  year  1863,  and  by  the  order  of  the  above  Court  distributed 
by  the  Drainage  Commissioner  to  the  different  townships  in  the  county, 
on  the  basis  of  the  number  of  square  miles  in  each  township,  March 
1869,  amounts  at  the  present  time  to  $23,583.43. 

The  total  amount  of  the  sale  of  swamp  lands  of  Champaign  County, 
Illinois,  is  $48,406.09,  which  shows  that  nearly  half  of  the  proceeds  of 
the  sales  of  swamp  lands  now  form  a  sinking  fund  at  ten  per  cent,  for  the 
benefit  of  schools. 


OTHER  FUNDS. 

Besides  these  productive  funds,  school  money  comes  from  the  follow¬ 
ing  sources : 

1st.  State  funds,  including  the  two-mill  State  school  tax,  appor¬ 
tioned  to  the  county  by  the  Auditor  of  State. 

2d.  Interest  on  the  school,  college  and  seminary  funds,  appor¬ 
tioned  to  the  county  by  the  Auditor  of  State. 

3d.  Amount  raised  by  ad  valorem  tax  in  the  districts,  for  general 
purposes. 

4th.  Fines  and  forfeitures,  as  indicated  -in  sec.  82  of  the  School 

Law. 


SUPERINTENDENTS. 

In  March,  1836,  John  Mead  was  appointed  School  Commissioner 
by  the  County  Commissioners’  Court,  and  served  seven  years. 

Moses  Thomas  was  appointed  March,  1843,  and  served  three  years. 
J.  B.  Thomas  was  appointed  April  20,  1846,  and  served  four  years. 
William  Peters  was  elected  March,  1850,  and  served  till  Dec.,  1853. 


1 6 


Parris  Sheppard  elected  Dec.  1853,  resigned  March  1854. 

J.  W.  Jaquith  appointed  March  1854,  and  resigned  April  1854. 

Jno.  B.  Thomas  appointed  April  1854,  and  served  till  Nov.  1857. 

T.  R.  Leal  elected  Nov.  1857,  and  served  till  December  3,  1873. 
years  1  month. 

S.  L.  Wilson  elected  Nov.  1873. 


EARLY  SCHOOLS. 


SOMER  TOWNSHIP. 

A  school  was  taught  in  the  Brownfield  settlement  by  a  man  named 
Fielder,  in  the  year  1829.  The  house  was  made  of  logs  and  ceiled  with 
linn  bark  which  was  covered  with  earth  to  keep  the  cold  from  coming 
down  through  the  attic. 

In  1832,  a  school  was  kept  in  the  Stewart  district,  west  side  of  the 
Big  Grove,  by  Claudie  Thompkins.  The  same  year,  Asahel  Bruer,  now 
82  years  old,  taught  a  school  in  the  Brumley  district.  The  old  gentle¬ 
man  says  the  boys  had  turned  out  the  teacher  the  term  before  and  tried 


(Father  Bruer  smoking  the  hoys  out.) 


to  turn  him  out,  but  that  he  whipped  them  till  they  were  glad  to  obey. 
He  also  tells  with  great  glee,  how  the  boys  barred  him  out  the  next 
term  at  Christmas,  in  order  to  make  him  treat,  and  how  he  climbed  up 
the  corner  of  the  log-house  and  covered  the  chimney  with  an  old  blanket, 
thus  smoking  them  out.  After  covering  the  chimney  with  the  board  and 


blanket,  the  boys  took  a  pole  and,  thrusting  it  up  the  chimney,  knocked 
off  the  covering.  This  was  kept  up  till  Mr.  Bruer  managed  to  seize  the 
pole  and  pull  it  away  from  them.  Their  weapon  gone,  one  of  the  boys 
escaped  between  the  logs  in  the  attic  and  was  chased  by  Mr.  Bruer  into 
the  woods  and  caught.  The  others  unbarred  the  door  and  captured  the 
teacher,  who,  after  a  struggle,  gained  the  school-house.  The  trouble  was 
finally  ended  by  Mr.  Bruer’ s  sending  for  a  bushel  of  apples  and  a  gallon 
of  whiskey.  That  night  the  boys  met  at  the  school-house  and  had  a  big 
drunk.  The  frolic  was  indorsed  by  the  patrons  of  the  school,  and  afforded 
a  good  deal  of  fun.  James  Kirby,  James  Boyd,  the  Buseys,  Trumans, 
Brumleys,  Moses  Deer,  Mrs.  Moore  of  Danville,  Mr.  Trickle,  now  of 
Trickle’s  Grove,  Illinois,  and  others  attended  the  school,  and  have 
hearty  laughs  over  the  smoking-out  business  to  this  day.  The  windows 
were  made  of  greased  paper,  and  the  house  was  warmed  by  a  fire-place. 
Mr.  Bruer  had  about  twenty  pupils,  and  charged  each  two  dollars  per 
quarter. 


(Country  School-house  in  Somer  Township.) 

In  1830,  John  B.  Thomas,  afterwards  School  Commissioner,  taught 
school  in  the  Brownfield  district  in  Somer  Township. 

NEWCOMB. 

The  first  school  was  taught  in  1854,  by  Reuben  Barnes,  in  a  log  house 
near  J.  S.  Hannah’s.  The  school  houses  in  this  township  are  good,  and 
all  new. 

OGDEN. 

Thos.  Freeman,  E.  Freeman’s  grandfather,  taught  the  first  school  in 
this  township,  in  a  smoke-house,  in  1839  1  Sarah  Lard,  Mr.  Griffith  and 
Win,  Jeremiah  taught  later.  There  is  now  a  snug  two-story  building  in 
the  town  of  Ogden,  besides  numerous  good  houses  in  the  country. 


8 


HOMER. 

Jas.  S.  Wright  informs  me  that  the  first  school  in  Homer  township 
was  taught  in  1829,  by  Abram  Johnson.  The  house,  located  about  three 
and  a  half  miles  northwest  of  the  town  of  Homer,  was  built  of  logs,  and 
had  greased  paper  windows.  There  were  about  fifteen  pupils,  and  the 
tuition  was  $2.50  per  term. 

In  1831,  when  this  county  was  a  part  of  Vermilion,  Mr.  Wright 
helped  to  organize  the  first  Sabbath  School  in  the  county.  His  father, 
a  member  of  the  legislature,  took  a  copy  of  the  Louisville  Journal ,  or 
some  other  paper,  where  the  son  saw  an  account  of  the  establish¬ 
ment  of  Sunday  Schools  in  Ohio  and  other  states,  and  conceived 
the  plan  of  starting  one  in  his  own  neighborhood.  A  notice  having  been 
given,  those  interested  came  together  with  their  Bibles  and  spelling-books 
and  with  very  limited  ideas  of  the  nature  and  work  of  such  schools,  but 
the  determination  of  not  being  behind  older  communities  in  any  educa¬ 
tional  reform  or  movement. 


(Homer  Graded  School.! 


In  1832,  John  King  taught  the  first  singing  school.  In  the  winter 
of  1833,  during  the  Black  Hawk  war,  it  seemed  impossible  to  get  a  teacher, 
and  Mr.  Wright  and  Jos.  Landor,  with  about  twenty-five  pupils,  organized 
the  first  night  school.  One  of  the  boys,  who  loved  fun  more  than  figures, 
slily  filled  the  chimney  with  linn  bark,  smoked  out  the  school  and  ran 
for  the  woods.  It  required  the  combined  efforts  of  pupils  and  teachers 
to  catch,  and  though  he  was  a  brother  of  one  of  the  teachers,  that  did 
not  save  him  from  a  good  flogging,  which  put  an  end  to  his  smoking 


9 


operations.  After  this  time,  Cyrus  Zornes,  Mr.  Arrowsmith,  John  Poage 
and  R.  C.  Wright  taught  school  in  that  vicinity.  Homer  has  a  good 
graded  school  building.  It  was  built  by  private  enterprise, — M.  D. 
Coffeen  giving  largely  of  his  money  and  influence  for  its  erection. 

MAHOMET. 

The  first  school  on  the  Sangamon  was  taught  in  a  log  cabin  16  by 
1 8  feet,  located  one-half  mile  south  of  Mahomet,  then  Middletown,  by 
Charles  Cooper,  in  the  year  1835. 


(Mahomet  Graded  School.) 


The  pupils  were  J.  R.  Robertson,  the  Maxwells,  the  Scotts,  the 
Osborns,  and  the  Lindsays.  The  windows  of  this  cabin,- like  those  of  the 
earlier  houses,  were  of  greased  paper. 

By  the  accompanying  cut  it  will  be  seen  that  they  have  a  good  graded 
school  building  in  the  town. 

SADORUS. 

In  1838  the  first  school  was  taught  in  Sadorus  by  Jas.  Outen,  in  an 
old  log  dwelling  house.  Mr.  Henry  Sadorus,  now  93  years  of  age, 
found  it  cheaper  to  hire  a  teacher  himself  than  to  send  his  boys  off  to 
school.  The  Piatts  attended  this  school.  After  this,  a  daughter  of  Dr. 
Lyons,  of  Sidney,  taught  in  a  log  house  near  the  residence  of  Isaac 
Miller.  After  this,  Thos.  Hunter  and  Julia  Coil,  now  wife  of  Dr.  J.  H. 
Leal,  taught  in  the  same  neighborhood.  In  1843,  Wm.  Rock  built  a 
small  log  house  on  his  farm,  and  hired  Miss  Margaret  Patterson  to  teach 
in  it.  Sadorus  has  a  good  graded  school  building,  and  has  creditable 
school  buildings  in  the  country. 


10 


CHAMPAIGN. 

Dr.  Shoemaker  taught  the  first  school  in  this  town,  then  known  as 
West  Urban  a,  during  the  winter  of  1854  and  1855,  on  the  east  side  °f  the 


(First  School-house  in  Champaign  City.) 

railroad.  The  house  is  represented  by  an  engraving  in  this  work.  The 
Doctor  taught  in  the  front  room,  lived  in  the  back  part,  and  his  wife  taught 
for  him  when  he  was  called  to  see  patients.  Each  pupil  furnished  his 
own  seat  and  desk.  The  house  did  not  cost  over  $200  when  first  built, 


(School  Building  in  Champaign  City,  West  side  of  I.  C.  K.  R.) 


and  forms  a  marked  contrast  to  one  built  only  sixteen  years  afterwards, 
which  cost  $75,000.  Besides  the  last-mentioned  house  there  are  two 
other  excellent  school  buildings  in  town,  and  the  country  school-houses 


11 


are  all  good.  The  house  on  the  East  side  of  the  railroad  has  been  twice 
burned  to  the  ground,  and  each  time  a  better  building  has  occupied  its 
place.  Engravings  of  this  building  and  also  the  one  on  the  West  side  are 


(School  Building  in  Champaign  City,  East  side  of  I.  C.  B,.  Ii.) 


also  given.  The  second  school  was  taught  by  Howard  Pixly,  on  the  West 
side,  in  a  house  occupied  by  Joshua  Dickerson.  Mrs.  M.  A.  Fletcher, 
sister  of  Mark  Carley,  was  the  third  teacher.  This  was  a  mixture  of 
public  and  private  school.  The  public  funds  were  used  as  far  as  they  would 
go,  and  the  balance  made  up  by  rate  bill.  She  taught  in  the  First  Con¬ 
gregational  Church,  and  for  several  years  afterwards  taught  a  select  school. 

BROWN. 

The  first  school  in  this  township  was  taught  in  1858,  by  Chas.  W. 
Knapp,  in  an  old  log  house,  on  the  Lee  Brown  farm.  He  was  followed 
by  Jas.  Lyons  and  Chas.  Atkins.  It  was  the  only  school  in  the. township 
for  several  years,  now  they  have  several  good  houses. 

PHILO. 

School  was  opened  in  Philo  in  1857,  in  a  very  small  house,  located 
near  the  residence  of  Lucius  Eaton.  The  small  house  did  not  last  long. 
It  was  given  to  a  new  district,  and  a  fine  large  house  built  in  its  place.  At 
one  time  there  were  about  forty  different  kinds  of  flowers  in  the  yard.  In 
the  town  of  Philo  there  is  a  two-story  graded  school  house,  and  ten  good 
school  houses  in  the  township.  Miss  Keeble,  now  Mrs.  Collar,  was  the 
first  teacher. 


12 


SIDNEY. 

First  school  was  taught  in  the  house  of  Wm.  Nox,  father  of  Solomon 
Nox,  by  Andy  Stevenson,  about  the  winter  of  1833.  In  the  town  of 
Sidney,  Geo.  Acres  and  Geo.  Nox  were  the  first  teachers.  Sidney  lost 
a  fine  school-house  by  fire,  but  a  larger  and  better  house  now  takes  its 
place. 

ST.  JOSEPH. 

The  first  school  was  taught  by  Moses  Argo,  in  1833.  John  B. 
Swearingen  and  Mrs.  Joseph  Peters  taught.  The  school-house  represent¬ 
ed  in  the  engraving  is  in  new  St.  Joseph,  and  was  built  in  eighteen 


(St.  Joseph  Graded  School.) 


months  from  the  time  the  town  was  started.  This  speaks  well  for  the 
enterprise  of  the  people,  from  the  fact  that  very  few  towns  of  that  age 
build  a  two-story  school  building. 

HARWOOD. 

Augustin  Crawford  taught  the  first  school  in  this  township,  as  near 
as  I  can  ascertain — it  was  about  the  year  1858 — near  where  Mr.  Webber 
now  lives.  It  was  an  old  shanty.  There  are  no  such  school  buildings  in 
the  township  now,  the  last  one  having  been  removed  last  year  to  make 
way  for  an  excellent  house. 

LUDLOW. 

I  think  the  first  school  was  held  in  the  freight  house,  in  Ludlow,  in 
1859.  I  cannot  ascertain  the  name  of  the  first  teacher.  The  town  con¬ 
tains  a  snug  two-story  school  building,  and  the  people  are  much  interested 
in  educational  matters. 


13 


KERR. 

For  a  long  time  there  were  only  two  schools  in  this  place,  one  at 
Lewis  Kuder’s,  the  other  at  Sugar  Grove.  The  first  named  school  was 
taught  in  a  log  cabin,  during  the  fall  and  winter  of  1837,  by  Levi  Asher, 
and  sustained  by  private  subscription.  It  is  said  that  when  Asher  finished 
his  school,  he  bought  all  the  hogs  he  could  on  credit,  and  ran  away  to 
Texas.  Chas.  Gulick,  now  of  Rantoul,  was  one  of  the  early  teachers. 
The  houses  are  all  good. 

CONDIT. 

School  was  opened  in  the  Gulick  neighborhood  at  least  as  early  as 
1855,  perhaps  earlier.  It  was,  for  a  long  time,  the  only  school  in  the 
township.  Mr.  Sale,  Miss  Porter  and  Miss  Newell,  were  among  the  early 
teachers. 

CRITTENDEN. 

> 

School  was  first  opened  here  about  1858,  in  a  little  cabin  near  where 
now  stands  the  Methodist  Church.  Mr.  Norton,  of  the  same  place,  was 
one  of  the  first  teachers.  There  was  also  a  school  at  Bonsis  Grove.  This 
house  was  the  best  frame  school  house  in  the  county,  at  that  time. 

SCOTT. 

About  the  year  1857,  a  school  was  taught  in  a  small  house  near 
where  S.  Koogler  lives,  by  Miss  Mattie  Moore.  Messrs.  Mallory  and 
Koogler  built  the  house  themselves.  This  house  was  used  until  last  year, 
when  the  district  built  a  nice  one.  In  1858,  William  Christie  taught 
school  in  a  small  shanty  near  Bondville.  The  schools  are  as  a  rule  large 
and  well  attended. 

PESOTUM. 

In  the  Nelson  district,  the  first  school  was  held  in  1857.  A  Mr.  Brown 
was  among  the  first  teachers.  A  school  was  kept  near  the  freight  house 
in  Pesotum  by  a  Sarah  Pennington.  Miss  Carrie  Kelly  and  Mary  E.  Wal¬ 
ling  taught  subsequently.  The  freight  house  was  used  as  a  school  room 
for  several  terms.  The  school  buidings  through  the  township  are  good. 

STANTON. 

A  school  was  first  established  here  about  1859  or  i860.  For  several 
years  this  was  the  only  school,  but  now  the  whole  township  is  well  sup¬ 
plied  with  good  scjiool  buildings.  This  was  accomplished,  to  some 
extent,  by  a  colony  of  Quakers,  whose  first  aim  has  always  been,  after 
getting  a  shelter  for  their  families,  to  build  a  church  and  a  school-house. 

COMPROMISE. 

The  first  school  was  taught  in  what  is  now  known  as  the  Kentucky 
settlement,  in  the  year  1859.  The  town  was  sparsely  settled  for  a  long 
time,  but  now  it  will  average  a  school-house  to  about  every  six  sections. 


14 


(High  School  Building  in  Urhana.) 

and  made  to  treat  on  Black  Strap,  i.  e..  whiskey  sweetened  with  molasses. 
The  boys  all  got  drunk,  of  course.  The  next  winter,  1839,  a  Baptist  min- 


(Second  Ward  School  Building,  Urhana.) 

ister  by  the  name  of  Standish  taught.  He  was  also  barred  out  on  Christ¬ 
mas.  He  mounted  a  horse,  and  the  boys  could  not  catch  him  until  they 


URBANA. 

The  first  school  in  Urbana  was  taught,  in  1838,  by  a  Mr.  Parmenter, 
in  a  small  log  dwelling  house.  On  Christmas  the  teacher  was  turned  out, 


15 


had  mounted  horses  themselves,  and  cornered  him  up  in  the  bend  of  the 
creek,  when  the  matter  was  settled  by  the  teacher’s  furnishing. a  specified 
quantity  of  Black  Strap.  About  the  year  1855,  the  Methodist  denomin¬ 
ation  erected  a  Seminary  in  Urbana,  which  was  subsequently  purchased 
by  the  school  district.  Two  large  additions  were  made  to  it,  and  in  1871 


(Country  School-house  in  Urbana  Township.) 


it  was  burned  to  the  ground.  The  same  year  a  large  high  school  build¬ 
ing  and  two  ward  school-houses,  (cuts  of  which  appear  heiewith,)  were 
erected,  at  a  cost  of  about  $35,000. 

The  country  school-house  here  represented,  is  located  in  Urbana 
township,  near  Thos.  Lindsay’s.  Mr.  Lindsay  has  built  twenty-seven 
school  houses  in  this  county. 

EAST  BEND. 

Miss  Dicy  A.  Newell  taught  the  first  school,  in  1856,  and  was  em¬ 
ployed  for  several  terms  after.  Lb  B.  Scribner  and  a  Mi.  Hawkins  taught 
afterwards.  Like  Brown,  few  schools  were  taught  for  many  years,  but  now 
they  are  well  supplied. 

RANTOUL. 

The  first  school  ever  taught  in  Rantoul  was  in  the  winter  of  1857 
and  1858.  A.  J.  Benedict,  Miss  Perry,  J.  R.  Moore  and  Miss  Knapp 
were  among  the  first  teachers.  There  has  been  for  some  yeais  a  graded 
school  building  with  four  departments.  Educational  interests  have  fiom 
the  first  received  marked  attention  in  Rantoul. 

COLFAX. 

For  many  years  there  was  only  one  school  in  this  township, 
there  are  good,  snug  school-houses  within  reach  of  all,  and  the  larger  pait 
of  them  have  been  built  within  the  last  six  years,  owing  to  the  rapid 
occupancy  of  the  township  by  settlers. 


16 


RAYMOND. 

The  first  school  was  taught  in  a  private  house,  by  Miss  Lucy  Hick¬ 
man,  afterwards  Mrs.  Whitcomb,  wife  of  our  present  Circuit  Clerk.  A 
school-house  was  then  built  in  the  form  of  an  octagon,  the  only  house  of 
the  kind  ever  built  in  the  county.  It  has  been  abandoned  for  some  time. 
The  school -houses  in  the  township  are  good. 

HENSLEY. 

The  first  school  was  taught  by  Martha  Newell  in  April,  1855,  in  the 
Waugh  district.  Margaret  J.  Scott  taught  in  district  No.  2  the  same  year. 
Daniel  Cheyney  taught  in  1856.  In  1857,  school  was  taught  in  the  Hensley 
District  by  Miss  Stevenson.  The  school-houses  in  this  township  are 
all  good. 

TOLONO. 

I  think  the  first  school  was  taught  in  Tolono  in  1858,  by  A.  M. 
Christian,  who  taught  several  terms,  and  was  succeeded  by  his  brother. 
Mr.  Hill,  of  Tolono,  also  taught.  For  several  years  a  graded  school  has 
been  carried  on  in  Tolono.  The  schools  through  the  country  will  compare 
favorably  with  other  townships.  The  first  Township  School  in  the  county 
was  organized  in  the  spring  of  1874,  and  the  trustees  are  now  erecting  a 
township  school  building  on  the  west  side  of  the  I.  C.  R.  R.,  in  Tolono,  at 
a  cost  of  about  $12,000. 

The  following  is  a  report  of  an  examination  of  a  teacher  in  the  old 
times.  The  candidate  called  on  the  school  commissioner,  (whom  he 
found  in  the  yard,)  when  the  following  conversation  ensued. — “I  have 
engaged  a  school  in  your  district,  and  understand  that  it  is  necessary  to 
get  a  certificate  from  you  before  I  can  draw  public  money  ?”  “Yes,”  said 
the  commissioner,  “you  can’t  git  nothin’  fer  teachin’  ’ithout  a  certificate 
from  me.  Come  in  and  set  down.  Do  you  see  them  show  bills  up 
thar  on  the  wall  ?”  “Yes.”  “Ware  you  to  that  show  ?”  “No.”  “What 
big  long  word  is  that  up  thar  on  that  show  bill  ?”  “That  is  Phantas¬ 
magoria.”  “Is  that  so  ?  Well,  anybody  that  can  pronounce  that  word 
can  teach  school  in  this  deestrict.  I’ve  been  tryin’  to  pronounce  it  for 
some  time  and  couldn’t  make  it.  I’ll  give  you  a  certificate.” 

It  was  usual  in  those  days  to  have  rules  made  and  solemnly  read  to  the 
pupils.  On  one  occasion,  an  old  man  who  wished  to  become  a  patron  of  the 
school  which  R.  C.  Wright,  of  Homer,  was  teaching,  rode  up  to  the  door 
pretty  highly  charged  with  benzine,  and  shouted  “Hello!”  Mr.  Wright 
went  to  the  door  and  invited  the  old  man  in.  “No,  I  don’t  want  to  come 
in  the  school  house,  but  I  want  you  to  fotch  out  your  rules  and  read  ’em 
to  me.  I  want  to  see  what  kind  of  a  school  yer  gwine  to  keep.”  “I  have 
no  written  rules,  sir,  but  I  tell  the  children  how  I  wish  them  to  conduct 
themselves,  and  if  they  refuse  to  comply,  I  thrash  them  like  thunder.” 
“All  right  !  All  right  !  Hurrah  !  !  That  suits  me  better  nor  written  rules.”. 


IT 


Mr.  Wright  relates  an  incident  about  a  Christmas  barring-out.  The 
scholars  got  possession  of  the  house  early  and  barred  the  door.  The  floor 
was  made  of  puncheons,  laid  about  two  feet  from  the  ground,  and  was  not 
finished  at  one  end.  The  teacher  was  determined  to  get  possession  of 
the  house,  and  he  at  once  proceeded  to  burrow  under  the  outside  logs, 
intending  to  crawl  up  through  the  hole  in  the  floor,  but  no  sooner  did  he 
show  himself  than  the  boys  dashed  a  shovel  full  of  hot  coals  on  his  head. 
Of  course,  he  did  not  gain  possession  at  the  time,  but  the  boys  suffered 
severely  for  what  was  then  considered  foul  play. 

Sometimes  the  boys  were  very  rude.  For  refusing  to  treat,  teachers 
were  sometimes  taken  to  a  creek,  or  pond,  and  plunged  into  a  hole  cut 
through  the  ice  for  the  purpose.  This  was  often  attended  with  serious 
consequences.  Perhaps  the  meanest  act  of  this  kind  happened  in  the  case 
of  a  lady  teacher.  The  boys  were  all  small,  with  the  exception  of  one 
eighteen  years  of  age.  He  told  the  boys  to  ask  the  teacher  to  treat,  and, 
if  she  refused,  to  duck  her.  She  refused.  The  smaller  boys  seized  and 
pulled  her  down  to  the  creek,  the  big  boy  encouraging  them,  but  ashamed 
to  take  hold  himself.  At  the  bank  of  the  creek  she  caught  hold  of  some 
alders,  and  would  have  succeeded  in  keeping  herself  out  of  the  water,  had  not 
the  great  loafer  cut  the  alders  with  his  jack-knife,  and  let  them  all  fall  in. 

Barring-out  has  long  been  discontinued.  Teachers  are  left  free  to 
treat  their  scholars  on  Christmas  or  not,  as  they  choose.  The  last  case  of 
the  kind  was  followed  by  a  suit  brought  by  the  teacher  for  assault  and 
battery,  in  which  the  active  parties  paid  smartly  for  their  fun.  Treating 
children  to  whisky  now-a-days,  would  be  looked  upon  with  horror  and 
indignation,  and  the  teacher  doing  it  would  not  only  be  barred  out  on 
Christmas,  but  the  whole  year. 


TEACHERS’  INSTITUTES. 

The  first  teachers’  Institute  held  in  the  county,  met  in  the  spring  of 
1857,  with  17  teachers  in  attendance.  Dr.  L.  M.  Cutcheon,  Dr.  Hunt, 
Judge  Cunningham  and  others  assisted  in  organizing  and  conducting  the 
exercises.  The  interest  in  this  organization  and  the  attendance  have  in¬ 
creased  steadily  for  the  past  17  years.  The  attendance  has  increased  from 
1 7  to  250  during  that  time.  For  several  years,  two  sessions  of  one  week  each 
were  held  each  year.  For  the  last  five  years  the  sessions  have  been  held 
for  three  weeks  at  a  time,  and  the  interest  was  maintained  without  flagging 
until  the  close.  Besides  these  county  school  meetings,  township  meetings 
have  been  organized  and  carried  on  with  great  success.  The  expenses 
have  been  defrayed  for  the  most  part  by  the  teachers.  For  sev¬ 
eral  years  teachers  were  entertained  gratuitously  by  the  people  where 
the  Institutes  were  held,  but  of  late  years  they  have  paid  their  board  and 
all  the  expenses  incident  to  the  organization. 

3/ 


18 


Illinois  ^Industrial  University. 


“  The  public  movement  which  gave  rise  to  this  University,  began  a 
quarter  of  a  century  ago.  Public  meetings  of  the  friends  of  industrial 
education  were  held  in  all  parts  of  the  State,  and  numerous  petitions, 
signed  by  thousands  of  the  agriculturists  and  other  industrial  classes, 
flooded  the  State  Legislature.  At  length,  in  1854,  the  General  Assem¬ 
bly  adopted  joint  resolutions,  asking  Congress  to  make  grants  of  public 
lands  to  establish  colleges  for  industrial  education.  After  lone  discus- 
sions,  Congress  passed  the  necessary  law  in  July,  1862,  making  the 
magnificent  grant  of  public  lands  out  of  which  has  arisen  that  long  list 
of  agricultural  colleges  and  industrial  universities  now  scattered  over 
the  continent. 

Illinois,  the  first  to  ask,  was  among  the  first  to  accept  the  grant,  and 
great  public  interest  was  excited  in  the  question  of  the  organization 
and  location.  Princely  donations,  in  some  cases  of  half  a  million  of 
dollars,  were  tendered  by  several  counties  to  secure  the  location  of  the 
institution.  In  February,  1867,  a  law  was  passed  fixing  the  locality, 
and  defining  the  plan  of  the  University,  and  in  May  the  Board  of 
Trustees  met  at  the  University  Building,  donated  by  Champaign  Coun¬ 
ty,  and  finally  determined  the  location.  During  the  year  much  . of  the 
script  was  sold  or  located,  necessary  alterations  were  made  in  the 
buildings,  apparatus  and  library  were  purchased,  a  faculty  partly  se¬ 
lected,  and  preparations  made  for  active  work.  On  March  2,  1868,  the 
University  was  opened  for  students,  and  on  the  11th,  formal  inaugura¬ 
tion  exercises  were  held.  In  the  Autumn  of  1871  the  University  was 
opened  for  the  instruction  of  female  students,  and  now  it  offers  its 
advantages  to  all  classes  of  society,  without  regard  to  sex,  sect  or  con¬ 
dition. 


19 


The  University  is  situated  in  the  City  of  Urbana,  adjoining  the 
limits  ot  the  City  of  Champaign,  in  Champaign  County,  Illinois.  It  is 
one  hundred  and  twenty-eight  miles  from  Chicago  on  the  Illinois  Cen¬ 
tral  Railroad.  The  Indianapolis,  Bloomington  and  Western  Railway 
passes  near  the  grounds.  The  county  is  one  of  the  most  beautiful 
prairie  regions  in  the  West.  The  two  contiguous  cities,  constituting 
really  only  one'community,  have  together  a  population  of  10,000,  weil 
supplied  with  churches  and  schools,  and  affording  boarding  facilities 
for  a  large  body  of  students. 

The  domain  occupied  by  the  University  embraces  about  623  acres, 
including  stock  farm,  experimental  farm,  orchards,  gardens,  nurseries' 
forest  plantations,  arboretum,  botanic  garden,  ornamental  grounds 
and  military  parade  ground. 


MECHANICAL  BUILDING  AND  DRILL  HALL  OF  THE  INDUSTRIAL  UNIVERSITY. 


The  Mechanical  Building  and  Drill  Hall  is  128  feet  in  length  by 
88  feet  in  width.  It  contains  a  boiler,  forge  and  tank  room;  a  machine 
shop,  furnished  for  practical  use,  with  a  steam  engine,  lathes  and 
other  machinery;  a  pattern  and  finishing  shop;  shops  for  carpentry 
and  cabinet  work,  furnished  with  wood  working  machinery;  paint, 
printing  and  draughting-rooms,  and  rooms  for  models,  storage,  etc. 
In  the  second  story  is  the  large  Drill  Hall,  120  by  80  feet,  sufficient  for 
the  evolutions  of  a  company  of  infantry,  or  a  section  of  a  battery  of 
field  artilleiy.  One  of  the  towers  contains  an  armorer’s  shop  and  mili¬ 
tary  model  room,  an  artillery  room  and  a  band  room.” 


Nothing  has  done  more  to  explode  the  wide-spread  notion  that 
“  Learning  and  Labor  ”  are  incompatible,  than  the  working  of  this  Uni¬ 
versity.  Those  who  labor  are  respected  by  the  students,  and  receive  high 
praise  and  encouragement  from  the  faculty.  At  the  sound  of  the  class 
bell,  scores  of  young  men  drop  the  spade,  hoe,  plow,  or  other  imple¬ 
ment  with  which  they  have  been  laboring,  to  recite  lessons  in  mental 
philosophy,  ancient  or  modern  languages,  natural  sciences,  or  higher 
mathematics,  and  drawing  in  all  its  departments.  The  faculty  use 
all  their  influence  in  favor  of  popularizing  labor.  In  1867,  Mr.  R.  T, 


20 


Miller,  now  of  Cincinnati,  and  myself,  were  appointed  a  committee  to 
write  an  address  to  the  people  of  this  County,  presenting  the  benefits 
of  such  an  institution  and  its  future  prospects.  In  it  the  following- 
passage  occurs  respecting  the  Regent  : 

“The  Trustees  of  the  University  have  selected  as  Regent  the 
Hon.  John  M.  Gregory,  formerly  Superintendent  of  Public  Instruction 
in  the  State  of  Michigan,  later  lecturer  on  the  Theory  and  Art  of  Teach¬ 
ing  in  the  Michigan  Normal  School,  and  now  President  of  the  Kalamazoo 
College,  in  the  same  State.  His  reputation  as  a  man  of  broad  culture, 
large  experience,  and  great  energy,  is  unsurpassed  in  the  West;  and 
under  his  supervision  it  is  scarcely  possible  that  the  Institution  should 
fail  to  attain  the  highest  eminence.  ” 

This  prediction  has  been  largely  fulfilled.  He  has  labored  in  the 
University,  and  through  the  State,  night  and  day,  through  good  and 
bad  report,  through  bodily  weakness,  and  family  sickness,  explaining 
the  working  plans,  removing  misapprehension,  inspiring  men  with  his 
own  zeal,  and  gaining  the  warmest  approbation  from  men  who  were  at 
first  bitterly  opposed  to  his  plan  of  working.  Prof.  J.  B.  Turner,  of  Jack¬ 
sonville,  savs :  “  Our  little  and  censorious  criticisms  can  neither  destrov 
nor  aid  it.  Thank  God,  it  has  already,  even  though  beyond  our  former 
hope,  become  too  big  for  any  such  result.  It  must  now  live!  It  ought 
to  live!  and  it  will  live!  ” 

Such  is  the  opinion  of  the  man  who  originated  the  scheme  of  In¬ 
dustrial  Universities  through  the  nation;  and  who,  at  onetime,  greatly 
feared  that,  through  mismanagement,  its  value  to  this  commonwealth 
would  be  lost,  but  who,  after  careful  examination  exclaims:  “What 
greater  joy  can  any  man  have  than  when  he  finds  things  better  even 
than  he  had  dared  to  hope.  ” 

Here,  then,  is  a  place  where  the  sons  and  daughters  of  rich  and 
poor  can  gain  the  highest  culture,  at  the  hands  of  a  devoted  and  effi¬ 
cient  faculty  of  men  and  women. 


SCHOOL  HOUSES. 

In  order  to  have  good  schools  we  must  have  good  school  houses.  In 
1857  there  were  forty-six  schools  in  the  county,  twenty-seven  of  which  were 
kept  in  log  school  houses,  and  the  remainder  in  small  frame  school  or 
dwelling  houses,  with  the  exceptions  of  Homer,  Urbanaand  Champaign. 
These  towns  contained  comfortable  brick  graded  school  buildings.  Es¬ 
timating  the  value  of  forty-three  houses  at  $200  each — -which  is  a  liberal 
estimate— and  the  graded  school  buildings  at  $ 20,000 ,  we  have  $24,600 
worth  of  school  buildings  for  the  entire  county,  which  contains  1008 
square  miles.  The  houses  for  the  most  part  were  low,  open  and  unsight- 


21 


(Old  Log  School-House  with  Greased  Paper  Windows.) 

ly  j  seats  usually  made  of  slabs, — a  specimen  of  wlndi  can  be  seen  at  the 
Museum  in  the  Industrial  University — or  of  boards  or  puncheons,  with 
long  sticks  thrust  in  them  for  legs.  The  desks  were  so  high  that  an  aver-  , 
.  age-sized  pupil  could  not  much  more  than  reach  the  top  with  his  chin  when 


(Modern  Seat.  Cut  presented  by  A.  H.  Andrews  &  Co.,  Chicago,  111.) 

seated  on  the  benches,  or  touch  his  toes  on  the  floor  ;  not  a  school-yard 
in  the  entire  county  fenced,  unless  it  happened  to  be  in  the  same  enclo¬ 
sure  with  the  field  where  it  was  located  ;  houses  heated  with  cook  stoves, 
and  broken  stoves  that  seemed  to  stick  together  from  force  of  habit  ;  all 
of  which  presents  but  a  faint  outline  of  the  condition  of  school 

buildings  at  that  date. 


22 


While  it  is  not  claimed  that  the  school  houses  in  this  county  in  1874 
are  all  that  could  be  desired  in  the  way  of  capacity,  comfort  and  beauty, 
a  marked  change  has  taken  place.  The  old  log  houses  have  entirely 
disappeared  ;  with  them  the  old  puncheon  and  slab  seats  have  departed. 
Of  the  frame  school  houses  then  in  existence,  only  one  remains.  Better 
houses  fill  their  places,  better  seats,  and  stoves,  and  other  school  furni¬ 
ture  are  substituted,  and  better  work  is  done. 

The  graded  school  buildings  in  this  county  are,  at  a  low  estimate, 
worth  $150,500.  The  county  school  buildings,  $160,000.  Making  an 
aggregate  of  $310,500.  This  does  not  include  the  grounds,  out-houses 
and  furniture  belonging  to  the  schools. 

The  cost  of  school  buildings  in  this  county  ranges  from  five  hundred 
to  about  seventy-five  thousand  dollars  each.  All  this  building  has  been 
done  by  a  vote  of  the  people. 

CARE  OF  SCHOOL  HOUSES. 

After  good  school  houses  have  been  built,  care  should  be  taken  to 
keep  them  in  a  good  state  of  preservation.  It  will  pay  well  to  borrow 
money  to  paint  school  houses  when  they  need  it,  if  there  is  no  money  in 
treasury.  The  longer  a  house  is  left  without  paint  the  more  it  takes  to 
do  a  good  job.  School  lots  should  be  fenced,  so  cattle  will  not  break  the 
windows,  or  hogs  make  nests  under  the  house  and  colonize  the  place 
with  fleas.  Blinds  protect  the  windows  from  hail,  and  the  eyes  of  the 
children  from  too  much  light.  When  a  house  needs  painting  and  the 
yard  is  full  of  weeds,  with  a  broken  fence,  broken  windows,  and  no  good 
platform  in  front  of  the  door,  no  good  walk  from  the  gate  to  the 
house,  it  exercises  a  very  bad  influence  on  the  minds  and  habits  of  pupils. 
Teachers  should  be  made  responsible  to  a  certain  extent  for  the  care  of 
the  loose  property  of  the  district,  such  as  maps  and  other  school  appa¬ 
ratus.  The  mere  mention  of  the  matter  by  the  directors  to  the  teacher 
would  in  most  cases  insure  good  care  of  these  articles.  If  children  are 
taught  to  care  for  school  property  and  preserve  it,  they  will  take  good 
care  of  property  at  home. 

TREES 

Should  be  planted  in  school-yards  both  for  shade  and  ornament. 
They  contribute  largely  to  the  comfort  of  the  children  in  summer.  Beside 
this,  a  tree-planting  taste  should  be  cultivated.  In  a  few  years  nearly  all 
the  natural  forest  trees  will  be  used  up,  and  strong  efforts  should  be 
made  to  make  good  the  loss.  So  great  has  become  the  necessity  for  tree¬ 
planting,  that  some  of  the  States  have  offered  premiums  to  those  who  will 
plant  groves  of  a  given  size.  Let  the  boys  help  to  set  the  trees  out  in  the 
school-yard,  teach  them  how  to  plant  and  take  care  of  trees,  and  very  few 
of  them  will  be  destroyed.  It  is  the  duty  of  school  directors  to  see  that 


23 


trees  are  planted  in  school-yards,  especially  those  on  the  Prairie.  Flowers 
have  been  cultivated  with  success  in  many  school-yards.  Plant  flowers. 

CLEANLINESS. 

No  matter  how  poor  a  person  may  be,  there  is  no  excuse  for  being 
habitually  dirty.  Water  is  plenty  ;  is  free,  let  it  be  freely  used.  Chil¬ 
dren  naturally  incline  to  dirt,  cleanliness  is  a  habit  which  must  be  culti¬ 
vated.  Many  children  ten  or  twelve  years  of  age  would  not  wash  at  all 
unless  required  to  do  so.  Many  children  present  themselves  in  the  school 
room  with  hands  and  faces  black  with  the  dirt  of  months,  perhaps. 
Besides  making  an  unsightly  appearance  the  dirt  stops  the  pores  of  the 
skin,  thus  driving  much  of  the  waste  matter  of  the  system  back  into  the 
circulation,  thereby  causing,  in  many  cases,  sickness  and  death.  Stop 
the  pores  in  a  man’s  skin  and  he  dies  in  a  few  hours. 

School  officers  should  notice  those  who  are  careless,  and  urge  them 
to  form  cleanly  habits.  Cleanly  habits,  if  formed  early,  will  be  practiced 
through  life. 

VENTILATION. 

One  of  the  conditions  of  good  health  is  pure  air.  Great  care 
should  be  taken  to  secure  a  pure  atmosphere  in  the  school  room,  for  the 
reason  that  so  many  children  are  kept  there  for  six  hours  per  day,  all 
the  school  days  in  the  year.  When  the  air  is  bad,  or  close,  as  it  is 
termed,  children  cannot  study  to  advantage  ;  headache  is  often  pro¬ 
duced,  the  lungs  are  loaded  with  foul  air,  diseasing  those  who  are 
healthy,  and  developing  consumption  in  those  who  are  predisposed  to 
that  fearful  disease.  No  matter  how  pure  the  air  may  be  when  taken 
into  the  lungs,  it  is  a  deadly  gas  (carbonic  acid)  when  expelled.  To 
those  within  the  room  the  air  becomes  almost  insensibly  corrupted,  and 
they  are  only  made  aware  of  their  danger  by  a  dull  feeling,  or  by  a 
warning  from  some  one  who  has  just  come  in  out  of  the  fresh  air. 

Thermometers  do  not  reveal  the  presence  of  the  noxious  gas.  The 
teacher  should  compare  the  air  within  the  room  to  that  without  fre¬ 
quently,  by  stepping  to  the  door.  But  this  takes  time.  Of  cout'se  it 
does.  It  takes  time  to  put  wood  or  coal  into  the  stove,  yet  no  one  thinks 
the  time  is  lost.  In  most  of  our  schools  the  only  way  to  ventilate  is 
through  the  windows.  If  the  windows  can  not  be  raised  or  lowered  easily, 
get  them  fixed  at  once.  In  cold  weather  open  the  windows  on  the  side 
opposite  to  the  wind.  Sometimes  in  warm  weather  the  circulation  is 
stopped  from  the  air  in  the  house  and  out  of  doors  being  equally  warmed. 
In  such  a  case  it  is  folly  to  attempt  to  teach  ;  clear  the  room  at  once, 
open  doors  and  windows,  sprinkle  the  floor,  and  in  five  or  ten  minutes’ 
time  you  will  be  ready  to  work  with  vigor  and  profit.  Let  teachers  re¬ 
member  that  their  own  health,  and  the  health  of  their  pupils,  are  import- 


24 


ant,  indispensable  factors  in  intellectual  culture,  that  no  pains  should 
be  spared  to  secure  “a  sound  mind  in  a  sound  body,”  that  an  early  death 
or  a  life  of  misery  and  pain  is  produced  by  neglecting  God’s  simplest  laws. 


SUGGESTIONS  TO  TEACHERS. 

This  subject  has  a  wide  range,  and  comprises  the  teacher’s  whole 
duty,  both  in  fitting  himself  for  his  work,  and  carrying  the  work  on  in 
the  school-room.  Premising  that  the  preparation  for  the  work  should 
be  thorough  and  complete,  I  leave  this  part  of  the  subject  and  offer  a  few 
suggestions  on  how  the  work  should  be  carried  forward.  Many  teachers 
make  a  great  mistake  at  the  outset,  by  supposing  that  they  have  nothing 
to  do  but  teach  what  is  found  in  the  text  books,  and  thus  their  teaching 
assumes  a  shallow,  linear  and  contracted  form,  entirely  opposed  to  that 
broad  and  liberal  culture  of  all  the  powers  of  the  body,  mind  and  soul 
which  distinguishes  the  cultured  man  from  the  mere  intellectual  routine]'. 
In  all  schools,  there  are  many  half  or  two-third  grown  boys  and  girls, 
whose  habits,  manners  and  movements  are  rude  and  uncouth.  They  talk 
loud  and  boisterously,  they  walk  noisily  and  awkwardly,  .or,  else  sit  in 
their  seats  quaking  with  terror  when  they  are  called  on  to  speak,  or  move 
across  the  room.  In  the  first  case  they  effect  a  coolness  and  self-possession, 
when  they  are  really  embarrassed  and  render  themselves  very  amusing 
to  those  around  them,  and  in  the  second  case  they  largely  destroy  the 
good  effect  of  the  teacher’s  work.  One  of  the  first  things  a  teacher 
should  do  is,  to  overcome  these  objectional  habits,  for  his  success  as  a 
teacher  will  largely  depend  on  his  securing  promptness  and  grace  of 
movement  with  clear  and  gentle  tones  of  voice.  I  repeat ;  a  teacher 
cannot  attain  the  highest  degree  of  excellence  in  teaching  who  fails  to 
teach  his  pupils  to  move  gracefully  and  to  exhibit  a  due  degree  of  self 
assertion.  Now,  this  cannot  be  taught  at  once.  Habits  of  years’  standing 
cannot  be  broken  up  in  a  day.  One  telling  will  not  suffice.  “Line  upon 
line,  precept  upon  precept,”  must  be  given.  Give  your  awkward,  bashful 
pupil  plenty  of  exercise  in  walking  across  the  room.  If  the  blackboard 
is  a  bugbear  to  any  pupil,  send  him  there  to  perform  some  work  he  can 
do  and  leave  him  there  while  you  are  exercising  a  class  on  a  different 
study.  Thus  he  will  in  a  short  time  like  to  work  at  the  board.  Some 
say  cultivate  the  heart  and  all  will  be  right.  This  is  a  mistake.  The 
heart  cannot  do  much  when  backed  by  a  cowardly,  inefficient  pair  of 
legs  or  hands.  Many  a  man  has  resorted  to  stimulants  to  overcome  the 
awkwardness  his  teachers  failed  to  correct.  Many  have  sought  the  com¬ 
pany  of  the  low  and  vicious  for  the  same  reason.  This  work  must  be 
carried  on  in  connection  with  the  work  of  the  school-room.  Strict  at¬ 
tention  should  be  paid  to  promptness.  Pupils  should  be  taught  to  re¬ 
spond  at  the  word.  When  you  ask  them  to  stand,  see  that  the  request  is 
complied  with  to  the  letter.  No  standing  on  one  foot  or  leaning  against 
the  desk,-  seat  or  wall,  should  be  tolerated.  Awkwardness  destroys  a 
man’s  independence,  produces  a  partial  paralysis,  causing  him  to  lean  on 
tables,  hug  posts,  or  go  to  the  stove  on  a  hot  summer  day,  and  exert 
himself  in  many  absurd  ways  to  get  rid  of  his  embarrassment.  Beside 
the  injury  done  his  body,  and  the  bad  appearance  he  makes,  he  soon 
learns  that  you  do  not  expect  full  obedience  to  your  commands.  Nothing 
will  unwind  the  discipline  of  a  school  with  more  certainty.  Do  not  ex- 


■ZjO 

pect  to  correct  these  bad  habits  in  a  day  or  week,  but  work  pleasantly, 
quietly  and  persistently  until  the  desired  postures  and  movements  are 
attained. 

SWEEPING  AND  CLEANING. 

Sweeping  should  be  done  after  school  at  night,  and  seats  and  desks 
should  be  dusted  before  school  opens  in  the  morning.  Children  should 
not  be  allowed  to  seat  themselves  in  dusty  seats.  Cultivate  sensitiveness 
on  this  point.  Never  allow  them  to  remain  in  the  school-room  when 
sweeping  is  going  on.  Teach  them  early  that  the  filthy  dust  from  the 
floor,  mixed,  as  it  often  is  in  the  country,  with  the  remains  of  debating 
clubs  and  other  meetings,  i.  e.  old  quids  of  tobacco  and  stumps  of  cigars, 
is  very  injurious  to  the  lungs,  and  to  avoid  all  unnecessary  exposure  to  its 
influences.  Seats  can  be  dusted  very  well  with  a  piece  of  old  calico,  or 
with  long  turkey  ^or  goose  feathers  tied  to  a  stick.  Never  allow  papers  to 
be  torn  to  pieces  and  thrown  on  the  floor  by  pupils.  Beside  the  litter  it 
makes,  it  develops  a  tendency  to  destroy  things,  and  become  reckless. 
See  that  the  shelves  under  the  desks  are  kept  in  order,  that  no  nut-shells 
or  other  remains  of  clandestine  eating  find  a  lodging  place  there.  Look 
to  the  school-yards.  Should  a  teacher  when  he  commences  school  find 
the  yard  littered  with  sticks,  coal,  scraps  of  paper,  or  weeds,  let  him  pro¬ 
pose  to  the  school  at  recess  to  pile  the  wood  and  clear  the  yard.  Let  him 
go  out  with  them  and  supervise  the  work,  or,  better,  help  with  his  own 
hands.  In  a  short  time  the  yard  will  be  cleaned  and  a  lesson  of  neatness 
taught  which  many  will  carry  home  with  them,  and  perhaps  through  life. 

NEEDFUL  THINGS. 

Sometimes  teachers  will  find  no  crayons,  broom,  coal  hod,  coal  box, 
rubbers,  pointers,  water  pail,  cups,  wardrobe  hooks,  wash  dish,  towel  or 
chair.  Sometimes  the  blackboard  needs  repairing,  glass  needs  resetting, 
the  yard  needs  mowing,  windows  need  curtains,  fence  needs  mending. 
What  is  to  be  done?  Directors  often  fail  to  get  these  things,  even  when 
they  are  willing  to  pay  for  them.  They  will  say  that  they  have  no  time  to 
go  to  town,  or,  they  will  forget  these  things  when' they  do  go.  With  a  little 
extra  exertion,  the  teacher  can  get  all,  or,  nearly  all  these  things.  Corn 
stalks  make  good  pointers,  and  are  always  available.  When  you  cannot 
get  ready-made  rubbers  ask  the  boys  to  bring  you  pieces  of  sheep-skin 
with  the  wool  on.  Get  pieces  of  board  two  inches  wide  by  six  long, 
tack  the  sheep-skin  on,  and  you  will  have  rubbers  that  will  answer  a  good 
purpose.  If  you  can’t  get  window  shades,  pin  newspapers  to  the  sash. 
The  flood  of  light  that  is  poured  into  our  school-rooms  is  very  injurious 
to  children’s  eyes,  and  many  of  them  are  permanently  weakened.  News¬ 
papers  will  help  very  much,  and  if  one  is  torn  another  is  easily  obtained 
to  fill  its  place.  If  you  have  no  chair,  and  the  directors  will  not  get  you 
one,  you  will  probably  find  in  the  neighborhood  an  old  chair  frame.  Get 
it,  cover  it  with  a  board  and  you  have  a  seat.  As  for  the  other  wants, 
ask  the  directors  to  allow  you  to  get  them  supplied  and  charge  it  to  the 
district.  In  most  cases  they  will  consent  gladly,  or  get  them  at  once. 
If  they  will  not  get  them  or  allow  you,  get  them  and  pay  for  them  and 
before  you  are  through  they  will  pay  you  in  full. 

Don’t  stand  on  your  dignity  and  say  that  you  engaged  to  teach 
school  and  not  to  furnish  the  school-house.  You  are  teaching  them,  when 
you  do  these  things,  how  to  furnish,  on  small  capital,  how  to  utilize  things 


4 


26 


within  their  reach,  and  not  to  sit  down  in  despair  until  they  have  at  least 
exhausted  all  their  resources.  People  will  appreciate  your  efforts  and  you 
will  become  a  power  for  good  in  the  neighborhood.  Don’t  scold  and 
growl.  Ask  the  directors  for  the  things  you  want  in  a  pleasant  manly  way, 
and  if  you  are  refused,  go  to  work  pleasantly  to  get  them  some  other  way. 

NEW  BRANCHES. 

The  branches  introduced  by  the  Legislature  in  1872,  (Physiology, 
Botany,  Philosophy  and  Zoology,)  require  careful  attention.  We 
cannot  expect  that  all  will  at  once  attach  to  them  the  importance 
which  they  demand.  The  nomenclatures  of  these  sciences 
present  a  vast  array  of  scientific  terms  which  are  entirely  new  to  the  ma¬ 
jority.  Many  look  on  these  new  terms  with  great  jealousy,  and  think  it 
pedantry  to  use  them.  New  terms,  like  new  laws,  pinch  us,  until  we  be¬ 
come  accustomed  to  them.  Care  must  be  taken  r.ot  to  introduce  too 
many  of  them  at  once.  Work  slowly,  giving  derivations  and  teaching 
names  thoroughly,  giving  as  many  practical  applications  as  possible.  For 
instance  ;  in  teaching  Physiology  tell  how  to  stop  blood  when  a  vein  or 
artery  is  cut.  Talk  about  the  abuse  of  the  digestive  organs  by  over-eating 
and  drinking,  by  eating  the  wrong  kinds  of  food,  by  guzzling  hot  tea  and 
coffee  until  the  stomach  is  parboiled,  and  thus  rendered  unfit  for  work. 
Tell  them  that  nine-tenths  of  the  headaches  and  bad  dreams  are  caused 
by  over-eating,  and  that  more  people  are  destroyed  by  gluttony,  than  by 
whisky.  Inform  them  that  tobacco  tells  fearfully  on  the  digestive  organs, 
and  that  beside  its  destructive  properties,  it  is  one  of  the  greatest  monopo¬ 
lies  in  the  whole  land.  At  a  low  estimate  Champaign  county  buys  $150,- 
000  worth  of  tobacco  yearly.  Give  them  an  exercise  in  arithmetic  on  the 
subject.  It  will  do  them  good.  Present  to  them  the  fact  that  using  five 
cents  worth  of  tobacco  per  day,  will  amount  to  $18.25  l)er  annum  ;  that 
three  five-cent  cigars  per  day,  will  amount  to  $54.75  per  annum,  and  it 
will  startle  those  who  have  not  counted  the  cost.  Don’t  scold  the  boys 
for  chewing,  but  let  them  know  that  they  cannot  chew  in  the  school- 
house.  Help  them  to  quit.  Encourage  them  by  giving  them  some  sub¬ 
stitute  for  tobacco.  Give  them  something  pungent  ;  for  instance,  cala¬ 
mus,  cloves,  spikenard,  and  thus  tide  them  over  that  fearful  gulf  between 
a  depraved  and  normal  appetite.  If  teachers  will  use  their  best  efforts, 
the  Earth  will  see  in  one  or  two  generations  from  this  time,  a  clean¬ 
mouthed  set  of  men.  Look  at  the  lesson  of  self-control  they  have  learned. 
Recollect  you  are  forming  habits  for  life,  not  for  one  term.  If  a  boy 
breaks  a  resolution  not  to  chew,  don’t  scold  but  say  pleasantly,  “try 
again.”  If  lessons  bother  him  for  awhile,  excuse  him,  but  hold  him  as 
firmly  as  possible  to  the  great  lesson  of  self-denial  which  he  is  learning. 
But  above  all,  work  with  those  who  have  never  formed  the  habit.  Fill 
their  minds  with  a  perfect  hatred  for  the  practice,  and  many  will  thank 
you  while  they  live. 

TEETH. 

Look  closely  to  the  teeth  of  your  pupils.  Recollect  that  most  of 
them  have  the  last  set  of  natural  teeth  they  will  ever  have,  and  teach 
them  how  to  take  care  of  them,  not  forgetting  to  give  a  good  example. 
Tell  them  that  if  tartar,  or,  salivary  calculus,  as  it  is  called,  is  allowed  to 
collect  on  the  teeth,  it  will  absorb  the  gums  and  alveolar  process  or  sockets 
of  the  teeth  to  such  an  extent  that  before  middle  age  their  teeth  will 
become  loose,  that  it  gives  to  their  mouths  an  unsightly  and  repulsive 


27 

aspect,  and  that  it  frequently  imparts  to  the  breath  a  most  offensive  odor. 
The  cuts  herewith  were  kindly  furnished  by  Dr.  Blackshaw,  of  Urbana. 


Fig.  1.  Fig.  2. 


Fig.  i  shows  a  set  of  teeth  encrusted  with  the  tartar,  whiclTis  fast  absorb¬ 
ing  the  gums.  Fig.  2  represents  a  case  in  which  the  roots  of  the  teeth 
have  become  largely  exposed  from  absorption  of  the  aveolar  process,  or, 
bone  socket.  Teeth  thus  affected  emit  a  more  offensive  odor  than  de¬ 
cayed  teeth.  Not  only  are  such  teeth  unsightly  and  offensive,  but  the 
general  health  is  often  seriously  impaired  thereby.  Instances  are  of 
frequent  occurrence  where  sickly  and  feeble  persons  have  been  restored  to 
good  health  by  the  removal  of  bad  teeth.  Urge  your  pupils  to  go  at  once 
to  some  good  dentist  and  get  their  teeth  cleaned  and  pluggedpvhenever 
they  need,  and  to  brush  them  regularly,  on  the  ground  that  iCpromotes 
their  health  and  comfort,  as  much  as  to  wash  their  faces.  They  may  save 
thousands  of  dollars  in  the  purchase  of  artificial  teeth.  Infusoria,  or 
small  microscopic  animals,  are  often  found  in  the  foreign  matter  in  the 
teeth. 

Fight  steadily  against  the  use  of  cloth  shoes  in  wet  weather,  bad 
air,  tight  lacing,  dirty  faces,  hands  and  bodies,  on  the  ground  that  it  is 
not  only  unsightly  and  uncomfortable  but  that  they  are  fruitful  sources  of 
consumption  and  other  diseases.  Assure  them  that  tight  lacing,  thin 
shoes  and  late  hours  kill  more  young  people  than  hard  study,  the  cate¬ 
chism  or  early  piety.  Make  them  sensitive  on  these  points.  Make* your 
corrections  kindly,  and  with  due  regard  to  the  feelings  of  those  whom 
you  wish  to  correct. 

Text  books  on  the  sciences  should  be  introduced  carefully.  Cultivate 
a  taste  for  these  studies  by  giving  short  oral  lessons,  make  them  pointed. 
Show  them  the  effect  which  would  be  produced  by  the  removal  of  all 
plant  life  from  the  world;  that  the  life,  health  and  wealth  of  the  world 
are  wrapped  up  in  plant  seeds ;  gradually  introduce  scientific  terms. 
Don’t  ignore  or  mutilate  them.  Don’t  anglicize  them  in  order  t©  make 
them  easier.  Give  them  their  full  pronunciation.  When  you  commence 
teaching  do  not  flourish  these  studies  in  the  face  of  the  people  too  sud¬ 
denly.  Proceed  quietly,  relying  on  their  good  common  sense  to  sustain 
you  after  a  fair  trial.  Many  ask  the  question,  “How  can  we  find  time 
to  introduce  the  new  branches  when  we  cannot  do  justice  to  the  old?” 
I  reply,  adjust  the  exercises  in  the  old  studies  so  as  to  make  room  for  some 
exercises  in  the  new.  The  Arithmetics  are  loaded  down  with  exercises  that 
are  seldom,  if  ever,  applied  in  business  life.  How  many  have  any  use  for 
Duodecimals,  Alligation,  Medial,  Alligation  Alternate,  Arithmetical  Pro¬ 
gression,  Geometrical  Progression,  Annuities,  Cube  Root  ?  Let  these  be 
introduced  as  high  school  studies  if  you  please,  but  do  not  burden  the 
minds  of  pupils  in  our  common  grades  with  work  which  they  cannot  ap¬ 
ply  twelve  months  after  they  have  studied  them.  It  is  said  by  some  that 
the  efficiency  gained  does  not  near  compensate  for  the  time  expended  ; 


28 


that  good  practical  accountants  should  be  made  in  one  tenth  part  of  the 
time  usually  expended  on  Arithmetic.  This  is  no  doubt  true.  What 
wonder  that  a  boy  fails  in  ordinary  business  calculations,  when  primary, 
intermediate  and  higher  Arithmetic  are  all  mixed  up  and  crowded  to¬ 
gether  in  one  term  ?  Many  boys  and  girls  after  working  through  the 
Arithmetic  cannot  cast  the  interest  on  a  note  when  there  are  partial  pay¬ 
ments,  from  the  fact  that  in  many  cases  the  United  States,  the  Vermont  and 
Connecticut  rules  have  been  crammed  into  their  minds  in  three  consecutive 
days.  Select  one  method  of  casting  the  interest,  teach  it  thoroughly,  review 
it  frequently,  invite  people  to  send  in  fair  written  examples  (no  puzzles), 
give  them  written  examples  yourself.  Let  them  practice  as  they  do  on 
baseball,  so  they  can  take  them  “hot,”  or  on  the  “fly;”  work  this  way, 
I  say,  on  all  the  practical  points  that  are  daily  turning  up  in  the  life  of 
an  average  citizen,  and  my  word  for  it,  you  will  not  only  make  far  better 
business  men  as  far  as  Arithmetic  is  concerned,  but  you  will  find  time  to 
give  many  very  profitable  lessons  in  the  natural  sciences. 

I  know  pupils  are  anxious  to  “go  through  the  book;”  parents  urge 
them  to  go  through  the  book,  and  some  teachers  boast  that  they  “can 
carry  them  through  the  book  in  one  term,”  that  the  attendance  is  irregu¬ 
lar,  that  there  are  numerous  grades,  that  many  are  large  and  backward, 
and  will  not  attend  school  after  the  present  term,  but  these  are  only  so 
many  reasons  why  you  should  concentrate  your  efforts  on  vital  points. 
Dwell  more  on  Analysis  than  proportion,  more  on  linear,  square  and 
cubic  measures  than  on  troy  and  apothecaries  weights  ;  more  on  simple 
interest  than  on  discount  or  present  worth.  See  that  the  work  is  done 
in  good  shape,  that  the  figures  are  well  formed.  If  you  can  write  fair 
figures,  grasp  the  hand  of  the  pupil  while  he  holds  the  crayon,  and  move 
it  so  as  to  write  the  figure  you  desire.  He  will  learn  the  required  move¬ 
ment  in  that  way  quicker  than  in  any  other.  Practice  on  2’s,  3’s  and  5’s, 
they  are  most  difficult  to  form.  Don’t  forget  to  procure  pictures  to  hang 
up  in  the  school-room.  Avoid  battle  pictures,  love-sick  daubs,  and  the 
like.  Get  pictures  of  children,  animals  and  landscapes.  Wood  cuts  are 
not  to  be  despised  if  tastefully  arranged. 

When  writing  to  a  person  for  information  which  interests  you  more 
than  your  correspondent,  always  inclose  a  stamp  for  return  postage.  It 
shows  that  you  are  thoughtful,  and  goes  far  to  insure  an  answer. 

ASSISTANCE. 

Do  not  help  pupils  too  much.  If  you  do,  they  will  rely  on  you 
much  to  their  injury  and  your  annoyance.  Let  them,  when  reciting 
lessons  where  perfect  accuracy  in  the  use  of  language  is  required — for 
instance,  in  repeating  the  multiplication  table,  or  the  weights  and 
measures — repeat  the  lesson  without  any  aid  from  the  teacher,  either 
by  look,  sign  or  word.  If  they  fail,  all  right.  It  will  waken  them  up, 
and  make  them  more  self-reliant.  Let  them  have  all  the  glory  of 
failing  occasionally.  They  will  understand  that  they  must  rely  on 
themselves,  and  not  on  you.  Some  teachers  spend  much  time  in  pi-op¬ 
ping  and  bolstering  up  a  careless  or  lazy  pupil,  until  he  is  nearly 
helpless.  Encourage  children  to  study  at  home.  Many  boys  and  girls 
think  that  they  cannot  learn  outside  of  a  school-room.  Many  parents 
act  as  though  they  thought  so  too.  When  you  have  once  taught  them 
to  set  themselves  at  study  you  have  accomplished  one  of  the  most  dif¬ 
ficult  and  important  parts  of  their  education. 


29 


BOOKS. 

The  book  question  has  always  produced  much  talk  and  controversy. 
By  many,  books  are  regarded  as  necessary  evils,  and  the  least  change,  even 
to  another  grade  of  the  same  series,  is  looked  upon,  by  some,  as  a  blow  to 
their  dearest  interests.  The  introduction  of  new  reading  matter  in  a 
school  produces  more  or  less  of  a  storm  of  protests.  Men  and  women 
get  tired  of  the  same  stories  told  over  and  over  again.  A  newspaper,  a 
week  old,  is  thrown  by  with  contempt.  If  the  minister  should  repeat  a 
few  sermons  frequently  he  would  soon  be  informed  by  his  hearers  that  his 
productions  were  getting  stale,  and  that  they  wanted  something  fresh. 
Now,  children  are  as  hungry  for  fresh  reading  matter  as  older  folks  are  for 
new  stories,  fresh  sermons  or  newspapers.  A  change  of  Readers  is  looked 
upon  by  many  as  a  great  calamity,  because  it  takes  money.  Of  course  it 
does.  It  takes  money  to  hire  a  teacher  to  help  a  boy  to  learn  to  read, 
but  if  by  giving  a  boy  more  books  the  time  required  to  teach  him 
is  shortened,  money  is  saved  in  the  end.  Take  an  example.  A 
boy  has  read  his  first  reader  through  two  or  three  times.  He  knows  all 
the  stories,  and  cares  no  more  for  the  book.  He  has  to  be  urged  by  the 
teacher  to  study.  Give  him  a  new  first  reader  and  he  takes  hold  at  once. 
He  reads  at  school  and  at  home,  and  fairly  devours  the  book,  and 
will  learn  to  read  twice  as  fast  as  if  he  were  confined  to  one  reader. 
Now,  one  great  object  any  parent  has  in  view,  is  to  enable  his  child  to 
read  fluently.  If  this  can  be  accomplished  in  less  time  by  using 
more  books,  why  not  spend  more  money  in  that  way  and  lesson  teachers’ 
wages?  Now,  I  do  not  wish  to  be  understood  as  advocating  a  frequent 
change  of  readers:  I  only  say,  that  more  primary  reading  is  needed  for 
our  boys  and  girls  than  is  found  in  the  primary  readers  of  any  series  out. 
When  a  new  series  of  readers  is  issued,  let  each  family  buy  a  full  set,  and 
put  it  in  the  library  at  home.  The  selections  are  all  choice,  the  print 
is  good,  and  the  whole  of  any  series  can  be  obtained  at  a  very  reasonable 
price.  Several  men  in  this  County  have  from  three  to  seven  sets  of 
readers  and  they  all  say  that  it  is  the  best  investment  they  ever  made  in 
the  educational  line.  But  this  is  not  all  the  reading  to  which  young 
people  should  have  access.  The  historical  harvest  is,  as  a  rule,  mostly 
gathered  by  the  time  a  person  is  from  twenty  to  twenty-four  years  of  age. 
The  business  of  life  and  the  news  of  the  day  crowd  out  history.  En¬ 
courage  this  kind  of  reading  early.  Put  the  history  of  our  own  country 
in  their  hands,  after  that  those  of  other  lands  and  times.  If  you  were 
to  tell  many  that  Julius  Caesar  was  an  American  or  British  general,  they 
could  not  correct  you.  The  battles  of  Flodden,  Hastings,  Marathon,  the 
Nile  and  the  sieges  of  Troy  and  Carthage,  are  to  many  young  persons 
meaningless  terms,  for  the  reason  that  they  have  never  had  access  to  the 
histories  which  portray  these  wonderful  events.  See  what  power  a 
knowledge  of  history  gives.  It  teaches  how  governments  are  formed, 
and  what  destroys  them,  so  that  when  this  part  of  their  life-work  comes 
upon  them  they  can  act  intelligently.  Let  them  also  have  standard 
miscellaneous  works  to  read.  If  you  do  not  help  them  to  good  reading 
they  will  help  themselves  to  trash,  such  as  the  New  York  Weekly ,  The 
Ledger ,  The  Chimney  Comer ,  dime  novels,  and  all  the  blood  and  thun¬ 
der,  love-sick  trash  of  the  day  which  is  now  washing  out  and  dissipating 
the  minds  of  thousands. 

Boys  and  girls  in  the  country  can  find  time  to  read,  especially  in  the 
winter.  They  should  be  well  supplied.  Well  selected  libraries  should  be 


30 


placed  in  every  district.  The  school  law  gives  directors  the  power  to  pur¬ 
chase  libraries.  Rantoul,  Champaign  and  Urbana  have  town  libraries. 
Rantoul  has  1,070  bound  volumes,  11  magazines  and  29  newspapers. 
Champaign  800  volumes.  Urbana  has  over  1,000  volumes,  and  over  30 
newspapers  and  magazines.  Give  the  young  folks  good  wholesome  reading. 

But  books  cost  money.  So  do  many  other  things  we  can  get  along 
without.  As  we  have  seen,  the  tobacco  used  in  this  county  costs  $150,000 
per  annum,  at  wholesale.  Tea  and  coffee,  which  are  at  best  but  luxuries, 
cost  about  $100,000  more.  Whiskey,  beer  and  kindred  drinks  cost  about 
$500,000.  Useless  litigation  costs  about  $75,000  each  year,  making  in  all 
nearly  a  million  of  dollars.  The  estimate  on  Tobacco  and  Whiskey  is 
made  from  the  U.  S.  Revenue  Reports.  Now  there  are  nearly  20,000  persons  in 
the  county  under  21  years  of  age.  Allow  each  one  dollar  per  year  for  well 
selected  books  and  in  a  few  years  we  will  have  a  choice  supply  of  reading 
matter  for  the  rising  generation,  at  only  a  small  part  of  the  cost  it  takes  to 
support  that  immense  monopoly,  that  all-devouring  ring  formed  by 
Tobacco,  Tea,  Coffee,  Ardent  Spirits,  and  Litigation. 

SCHOOL  DISCIPLINE. 

Much  trouble  might  be  saved  if  teachers  and  parents  were  better 
acquainted.  Both  parties  should  co-operate  heartily  in  school  matters, 
in  order  to  achieve  success.  Often  an  antagonism  springs  up  be¬ 
tween  parents  and  teachers  which  even  a  business  acquaintance  would 
at  once  dispel.  In  many  cases  parents  cannot  control  their  children, 
and  they  seem  determined  that  the  teacher  shall  fail  also  ;  at  least 
their  conduct  evinces  such  a  desire.  They  will  talk  over  what  they 
are  pleased  to  call  the  teacher’s  failings,  with  the  utmost  freedom  be¬ 
fore  their  children.  The  acts,  words  and  even  the  looks  of  the 
teacher  are  criticised  severely.  Children  are  thus  encouraged  to  make 
daily  reports,  of  any  mistakes,  real  or  supposed,  that  the  teacher  may 
make.  These  reports  will  be  enlarged  upon  as  occasion  requires.  At 
this  juncture  the  teacher  ffnds  it  necessary  to  correct  some  fault  of 
one  of  the  children.  War  against  the  teacher  is  instantly  declared  by 
the  whole  family.  All  his  supposed  faults  are  paraded  and  intensified. 
The  most  frivolous  complaints  are  made.  One  day  a  man  told  me 
their  teacher  did  not  know  anything.  Why  ?  “  Because  he  can’t  tell 

wdiere  the  port  of  Aden  is.”  Another  man  said  the  teacher  could  not 
tell  wdiere  Trinity  Bay  was.  Another  said  their  fool  teacher  did  not 
know  anything  about  Grammar,  because  he  called  The  an  adjective 
instead  of  an  article,  according  to  Kirkham.  Another  failed  in 
Arithmetic  because  in  changing  miles  to  feet  he  multiplied  by -5280 
instead  of  the  intermediate  number.  Others  complain  that  their 
children  are  required  to  learn  the  definitions  of  words  which  they  spell, 
or  that  the  teacher  caused  the  pupil  to  read  or  pronounce  a  sentence 
or  word  over  several  times.  Again,  one  is  angry  because  his  child  w"as 
not  kept  after  school  instead  of  being  whipped.  Another  says  whip 
him  rill  the  skin  comes  off,  but  don’t  keep  him  after  school.  In  many 
cases  any  punishment  is  better  than  the  one  inflicted.  On  the  other 
hand,  teachers  fail  to  govern  the  school  because  they  cannot  govern 
their  own  tongues  or  tempers.  If  parents  criticise  harshly,  teachers 
retort  in  kind.  The}"  use  the  grievous  words  that  stir  up  auger.  In 
some  cases  they  call  children  fools ,  blockheads ,  idiots ,  liars ,  or  thieves , 


31 


terms  which  should  never  be  applied  to  children  in  a  school-room. 
Many  teachers  use  sarcasm.  Used  towards  children,  it  is  a  coward’s 
weapon,  because  they  cannot  retort  in  kind.  It  requires  but  little  in¬ 
tellectual  capital  to  use  it.  The  spirits  of  many  children  have  been 
crushed  by  its  blighting,  withering  blast.  No  true  teacher  will  use  it, 
except  in  extraordinary  cases.  Whip  a  child  if  need  be,  but  do  not 
wither  his  soul  with  scorn,  and  contempt.  Children  feel  such  words 
more  than  we  think,  and  their  after-lives  are  deeply  affected  by  them. 
Let  teachers  and  parents  work  in  harmony.  If  they  do  not,  dire  con¬ 
sequences  will  follow.  If  parents  encourage  insubordination  on  the 
part  of  the  children,  they  are  sowing  the  wind,  and  they  will  as 
surely  reap  the  whirlwind.  If  parents  allow  children  to  curse  their 
teachers  with  impunity,  these  curses  will  return  with  fearful 
certainty  on  the  heads  of  the  household.  Several  instances  of  this 
kind  have  come  under  my  observation.  When  a  parent  feels  that  his 
child  has  been  wronged  in  school,  let  him  quietly  talk  the  matter  over 
with  the  teacher,  listen  to  his  reasons  calmly,  and  in  nine  cases  out  of 
ten  the  trouble  can  be  adjusted  to  the  satisfaction  of  all  concerned. 
When  parents  encourage  insubordination  in  school,  or  contempt  of 
school  government,  they  will  receive  a  ten-fold  reward  in  the  shape  of 
defiance  of  parental  authority.  The  hearts  of  many  parents  have  been 
brought  down  with  sorrow  to  the  grave,  from  the  fact  that  they  had 
not  the  courage  and  unselfishness  to  correct  and  restrain  the  wills  of 
their  children.  Many  do  not  correct  their  children  because  it  hurts 
their  own  feelings.  Others  punish  brutally  merely  to  gratify  personal 
vengeance.  Either  motive  is  selfish,  and  destructive  of  good  govern¬ 
ment.  In  dealing  with  children,  parents  and  teachers  should  lay 
aside  cowardice  and  passion.  They  should  remember  that  society  de¬ 
mands  at  their  hands  good  citizens,  and  that  parents  especially,  are 
responsible,  either  directly  or  indirectly,  for  all  the  had  men  and 
women  in  the  country.  Many  young  men  who  to-day  are  street  loafers, 
might  be  useful  members  of  society  had  their  parents  controlled  them 
in  their  early  years.  It  is  common  to  hear  people  say,  let  the  boys 
sow  their  wild  oats,  and  they  will  settle  down  by  and  by.  Such  peo¬ 
ple  forget  that  as  a  man,  (or  boy, )  soweth  so  shall  he  reap.  They  forget 
that  those  who  sow  wild  oats  must  sooner  or  later  harvest  the  crop,  and 
that  this  harvest  will  come  in  the  shape  of  a  ruined  character,  broken 
health  and  a  dissipated  mind,  at  a  time  when  all  the  powers  of  a  healthy 
bod}^  and  soul  are  needed  to  meet  the  stern  realities  of  life.  It  fre¬ 
quently  occurs,  after  men  have  seen  the  mistakes  of  their  early  life, 
and  desire  to  do  better,  that  instead  of  giving  to  the  world  the  ener¬ 
gies  of  a  strong,  pure  and  vigorous  manhood,  nearly  all  their  powers 
are  exercised  in  patching  up  the  ruptures  of  soul  and  body,  which 
have  been  produced  by  what  is  politely  termed  youthful  indiscretion. 

Let  parents,  then,  as  they  value  the  happiness  of  themselves  and 
their  children,  assume  the  control,  which  the  laws  ol  God  and  man 
have  given  them.  If  it  is  good  for  them  to  be  at  school,  let  no  trifling- 
excuse  keep  them  away.  If  it  is  bad  to  be  on  the  streets  associating 
with  the  idle  and  vicious,  take  time  to  keep  them  at  home,  or  at  school. 
Let  teachers  and  parents  work  together  earnestly  to  control  the 
children,  and  the  good  resulting  from  such  an  effort  cannot  be  calcu¬ 
lated. 


32 


SCHOOL  OFFICERS  AND  TEACHERS. 

School  officers  and  teachers  should  be  very  careful  not  to  use  their 
official  position  to  punish  personal  enemies.  It  is  to  be  regretted  that 
this  is  sometimes  done.  For  a  man  to  pervert  the  power  delegated  to 
him  by  his  constituents  in  this  manner  is  at  once  unmanly,  dishonest 
and  cowardly.  When  dealing  officially  with  a  known  enemy,  an  officer 
should  be  very  careful  not  to  allow  passion  or  prejudice  to  bias  his  ac¬ 
tion  in  the  least.  Nothing  strengthens  prejudice  more  than  an  undue 
display  of  power  or  authority.  Firmness  is  necessary,  but  self  should 
be  eliminated  entirely.  In  the  selection  of  teachers  by  directors, 
favoritism  and  relationship  should  be  banished,  and  merit  called  to  the 
front.  Some  officers  who  require  a  high  standard  of  excellence,  sud¬ 
denly  lower  it  when  a  relative  asks  for  a  situation.  As  a  rule,  young 
teachers  should  not  teach  their  first  school  in  the  district  in  which  they 
have  been  educated.  The  sins  of  the  parents  will  assuredly  be  visited 
on  the  heads  of  the  children  by  those  with  whom  they  are  at  enmity. 
Teachers,  whose  parents  have  enemies  in  the  district,  will  soon,  as  a 
rule,  find  these  enemies  on  their  track.  In  one  instance  a  school  was 
broken  up  from  the  fact  that  the  uncle  of  the  teacher  employed,  was 
obnoxious  to  some  of  the  patrons  of  the  school.  As  a  rule,  teachers 
should  only  be  employed  in  their  own  district  after  they  have  estab¬ 
lished  their  power  as  good  teachers. 


VISIT  OTHER  SCHOOLS. 

It  is  good  for  teachers  to  visit  the  schools  of  others  as  occasion  pre¬ 
sents,  not  for  the  purpose  of  finding  fault  and  boasting  how  much  better 
schools  they  teach,  or  indulging  in  spiteful  or  harsh  criticism,  and  then 
telling  how  badly  the  school  is  governed,  how  poorly  taught,  how  dirty 
the  children,  the  school  house,  the  yard,  how  outlandishly  the  teacher  is 
dressed,  &c.,  but  be  careful  while  noticing  these  faults  to  avoid  them.  See 
that  all  the  good  points  in  the  school  are  remembered.  Some  teachers 
do  not  scruple  to  criticise  others  adversely  in  order  to  secure  their  places, 
and  visit  schools  merely  to  obtain  items  to  procure  the  overthrow  of 
their  fellows. 

Some  teachers  will  change  the  order  of  exercises  to  some  well  pre¬ 
pared  lessons  that  are  kept  well  preserved  to  display  before  visitors.  In 
some  cases  the  change  is  made  without  any  effort  at  concealment,  in  others 
it  is  so  adroitly  done  that  it  will  scarcely  be  noticed.  In  either  case  no 
true  judgement  can  be  formed  as  to  the  daily  working  of  the  school. 
Such  conduct  lays  the  foundation  deep  and  broad  for  a  life  of  untruth  and 
duplicity,  on  the  part  of  the  pupils.  When  a  change  of  programme  is  made, 
let  all  understand  that  it  is  a  review,  not  a  new  lesson. 


PRIMARY  INSTRUCTION. 

I  know  the  subject  is  old  and  hackneyed,  but  in  the  language  used 
in  a  report  of  the  State  Superintendent,  Dr.  Bateman,  “  Old  truths 
need  often  to  be  restated  and  re-argued.  Radical  distinctions,  unless 
frequently  re-affirmed  lose  the  clearness  of  their  original  demarkation, 
and  the  strongest  convictions  gradually  fade  from  the  minds  of  men 
unless  the  supporting  evidence  is  occasionally  presented  afresh." 


33 


This  truth  stands  good  in  reference  to  holding  up  to  public  condem¬ 
nation  the  sins  of  lying,  stealing,  profanity,  and  murder.  This  has 
been  done  ever  since  the  days  of  Adam,  and  the  battle  will  be  waged 
between  right  and  wrong  until  the  latter  is  obliged  to  hide  its  head  in 
shame  and  confusion.  Let  us,  then,  consider  patiently,  some  of  the 
good  and  bad  methods  of  Primary  teaching.  The  great  practical  mis¬ 
take  made  by  our  teachers  is  in  cramming  the  minds  of  children  with 
that  which,  in  effect,  amounts  to  arbitrary  abstractions.  In  thousands 
of  instances,  the  first  thing  offered  to  a  child  is,  that  (to  him)  indi¬ 
gestible  mass  known  as  the  Alphabet.  As  well  might  we  expect  to 
nourish  a  child’s  body  by  giving  him  saw-dust  for  dinner,  as  to  expect 
to  nourish  his  mind  with  such  mental  pabulum.  If  any  one  has  doubts 
in  regard  to  the  depth  of  the  Egyptian  darkness  through  which  the 
child  has  to  plunge,  let  him  recollect  the  darkness  which  surrounded 
him  when  he  learned  the  Greek  Alphabet,  aided  by  the  strength  of 
manhood  and  the  light  of  reason.  After  the  alphabet  has  beHn  dis¬ 
posed  of,  other  dainty  bits  are  thrust  into  the  child’s  mind, — such  as 
bla,  ble,  bli,  bio,  bin,  bly,  kra,  kre,  kri,  kro,  kru,  krv.  Next  in  order 
come  what  are  supposed  to  be  easy  words, — such  as  cyst,  woad,  veer, 
deem,  bulb,  fraught,  yacht,  chicane,  caitiff,  inane,  purvey,  on  to  lu-gu- 
bri-ous,  nu-ga-to-ry,  hy-pot-e-nuse,  hyp-o-chon-dri-ac,  ob-liq-ui-ty,  cen- 
trif-u-gal,  am-phib-i-ous,  me-te-or-ol-o  gy,  an-ti-trin-i-ta-ri-an,  val-e-tu- 
di-na-ri-an.  What  must  be  the  effect  produced  on  the  mind  of  a  child, 
while  plodding  his  weary  way  through  this  Erebus,  without  one  ray 
of  light  to  cheer  him  !  It  is  simply  another  proof  of  the  immortality 
of  the  soul,  that  the  tender  mind  can  be  subjected  to  such  a  strain  and 
grind,  and  yet  survive  it.  The  body  could  not  sustain  it  forty-eight 
hours.  Again  and  again  is  the  mind  of  the  child  hurled  against  these 
verbal  Gibraltars,  onlv  to  recoil,  stunned  and  defeated.  This  is  no 
fancy  sketch.  Many  parents,  and,  I  am  sorry  to  say,  many  teachers, 
insist  that  a  child  should  “go  through  the  spelling-book”  before 
learning  to  read  simple  words  which  he  can  comprehend.  Parents 
will  sit  with  staring  eyes,  and  mouth  agape,  while  their  children  are 
spelling  column  after  column  of  words,  the  meaning  of  which  is  to  them 
a  sealed  book, — words  which  they  will  perhaps  never  have  occasion  to 
use.  But,  says  one,  the  child  can  understand  and  use  these  words 
when  he  grows  to  be  a  man.  As  well  might  the  child  be  clothed  in 
the  garments  of  manhood,  in  order  to  add  strength  and  symmetry  to  his 
body.  If  one-fourth  of  the  time  spent  in  teaching  us  spelling  had 
been  spent  in  teaching  us  the  meaning  of  some  of  the  words,  we  should 
all  know  more  than  we  do  to-day. 

Again,  all  dragging  and  drawling  tones  result  from  vicious 
teaching.  They  are  unnatural,  and  can  not  be  acquired  without  severe 
training.  The  persevering  effort  required  to  teach  a  child  to  whine  and 
drag  his  tones  would,  if  directed  aright,  make  him  a  good  elocutionist. 
The  child  drags  on  in  this  way,  until  at  last,  showing  more  wisdom 
than  his  teachers,  he  becomes  ashamed  of  his  bungling,  and  corrects 
himself.  The  way  to  remedy  these  evils  is  to  treat  a  child  as  a  reason¬ 
able  being,  and  not  as  a  warehouse  ;  to  awaken  and  stir  him  up  to  ac¬ 
tive  thought,  instead  of  filling  his  mind,  like  an  old  garret,  with  odds 
and  ends,  some  of  which  may  possibly  be  used  in  years  to  come.  In¬ 
stead  of  commencing  with  the  alphabet,  give  the  child  words  to 
pronounce  which  he  can  understand.  Teach  him  to  pronounce  them 
at  sight.  Let  them  be  repeated  until  they  become  as  familiar  as  the 


5 


34 


face  of  his  mother.  See  to  it,  that  he  understands  the  meaning.  Do 
not  allow  him  to  spell  a  word  before  pronouncing  it,  thus — J-o-h-n  John 
i-s  is  i-n  in  t-h-e  the  t-u-b  tub.  Spelling  produces  the  dragging  tone, 
from  the  fact  that  the  eye  rests  on  each  letter  and  the  tongue  follows 
suit.  Let  them  take  the  word  at  a  mouthful,  and  I  will  warrant  3^011 
against  that  worse  than  howling  which  we  frequently  hear  in  our 
prim  ary  read  in  g-classes. 

But  some  say,  this  word-method  is  a  new  notion.  Old  teachers, 
and  those  who  have  been  successful  in  the  profession  never  use  it. 
This  is  a  mistake.  Besides  being  the  only  natural  method  of  teaching 
our  language,  it  is  the  oldest  in  the  world.  God  spake  to  Adam. 
Parents  have  been  speaking  to  their  children  ever  since.  When  a 
child  sees  a  wagon  for  the  first  time,  and  asks  what  it  is,  his  father 
does  not  spell  it  out  to  him  by  saying  tongue,  wheel,  axle,  box,  wagon. 
He  is  taught  to  call  it  wagon  at  once,  before  he  knows  the  difference 
between  the  box  and  the  wheel.  It  is  only  when  we  teach  children  to 
read  from  a  book,  that  we  use  the  unnatural  method  of  spelling  first. 
Again,  all  teachers  use  the  word-method,  though  all  are  not  aware  of 
it.  They  are  obliged  to,  from  the  fact  that  the  child  cannot  pronounce 
a  word  after  he  has  spelled  it,  until  the  teacher  tells  him  what  it  is. 
There  is  no  more  analogy  between  the  names  of  the  letters  in  the  word 
boy,  and  the  pronunciation  of  the  word,  than  there  is  between  a  polar 
bear  and  a  saw-mill.  In  other  words,  a  child  can  obtain  as  good  an 
idea  of  the  bear,  by  examining  the  mill,  as  he  can  of  the  pronunciation 
of  the  word  boy,  by  hearing  the  names  of  the  letters  which  enter  into 
its  composition.  Instead,  then,  of  having  an  alphabet  of  only  twenty- 
six  letters,  we  have  one  of  forty  thousand.  I  repeat,  then,  that  every 
teacher  is  obliged  to  use  the  word-method,  sooner  or  later.  Had  we  a 
letter  to  represent  every  elementary  sound  in  the  language,  then  there 
would  be  some  sense  in  commencing  with  the  alphabet.  As  it  is,  we 
bind  the  grievous  burden  on  the  tender  shoulders  of  the  child,  and 
goad  him  on  without  mercy  until  he  has  accomplished  the  heartless 
task. 

Sometimes  the  question  is  asked,  How  can  a  drawling  style  of 
reading  be  broken  up,  after  it  has  been  once  acquired  ?  Simply  by 
never  allowing  the  child  to  repeat  it.  Make  him  'pronounce  the  words 
in  the  lesson,  giving  the  falling  inflection  after  every  word,  thus  ; 
John'  lias'  a'  white'  mouse'.  Drill  him  thus  for  weeks,  if  necessary, 
until  he  acquires  full  control  of  his  voice.  Keep  it  up  as  long  as  he 
shows  the  least  disposition  to  hang  fire.  Let  every  word  he  utters  ex¬ 
hibit  sharp  and  distinct  outlines.  In  spelling,  let  every  letter  be  uttered 
writh  the  falling  inflection,  also  every  sound  in  Phonic  Analysis.  Be¬ 
sides  ridding  the  school-room  of  this  pest,  it  will  have  a  tendency  to 
correct  that  precipitancy  in  reading  which  frequently  results  from 
bashfulness. 

Classes  in  Teachers’  Institutes  are  not  drilled  sufficiently  on 
Primary  reading.  The  higher  grades  of  readers  are  almost  invariably 
used,  to  the  exclusion  of  the  primary  readers  ;  or,  what  is  worse,  the 
time  is  used  in  giving  a  lecture  on  reading,  without  drilling  the  class 
at  flji.  The  number  of  teachers  who  can  read  well. in  the  first  reader 
is  astonishingly  small,  and  the  number  who  can  teach  children  to  read 
as  they  should  is  alarmingly  smaller.  They  are  astonished  when  you 
tell  them  that  they  should  study  these  primary  lessons  before  exercis¬ 
ing  their  classes.  They  seem  to  think  that,  if  tluyy  teach  children  to 


.  r 

pMiibUhce  the  WOnls  correctly,  their  work  is  done,  and  that  they  can 


be  “polished  up,”  as  they  call  it,  when  they  take  the  higher  readers. 
They  seem  to  forget  that  this  course  of  instruction  renders  the  surface 
so  rough  that  it  will  scarcely  receive  a  polish.  The  utmost  care  should 
be  taken  to  cultivate  proper  tones  while  the  voice  is  flexible,  and  not 
to  wait  until  it  becomes  stiff  and  almost  uncontrollable. 

I  know  of  no  harder  work  than  teaching  a  class  of  adults  to  read  with 
taste.  You  might  almost  as  well  try  to  teach  a  crow  to  sing,  or,  instruct  a 
donkey  in  thorough  bass.  The  physical  and  mental  labor  required  of 
the  teacher  is  intense.  Visit  the  Normal  School  when  a  new  class  of 
teachers  is  under  a  drill  exercise  in  reading.  Listen  to  the  ring-boned, 
spavined,  foundered  and  wind-broken  voices  which  the  teacher  is  labor¬ 
ing  hard  to  cure,  and  then  pass  down  to  the  Primary  department  of  the 
Model  School,  and  see  children  trained  up  in  the  way  they  should  read. 
Witness  the  ease  and  promptitude  with  which  they  imitate  every  tone 
of  the  teacher  at  the  first  trial,  and,  I  think,  all  will  see  the  vast  im¬ 
portance  which  attaches  to  a  thorough  cultivation  of  the  voice  while 
young.  In  cultivating  the  voice,  the  elemental  sounds  of  the  language 
(the  very  quintessence  of  Orthography,  )  should  be  thoroughly  taught. 
What  is  thought  of  the  music-teacher  who  fails  to  drill  his  class  on 
the  seven  elemental  sounds  in  music  ?  He  is  considered  a  quack,  and 
is  soon  driven  from  the  work.  There  are  upwards  of  forty  elementary 
sounds  in  our  language  ;  yet  there  are  many  teachers  who  ignore  them 
entirely.  Teachers  present  themselves  for  certificates,  with  college- 
diplomas  in  their  hands,  who  cannot  utter  separately,  the  sounds  in 
the  word  man,  to  save  their  lives.  They  have  been  taught,  either  by 
precept,  or  example,  that  it  will  not  do  to  spend  their  time  on  such 
trifles.  In  many  cases,  when  a  young  lad}’  has  learned  to  produce 
discordant  sounds  on  a  piano,  to  draw  two  objects  so  that  their  respect¬ 
ive  shadows  point  toward  each  other,  to  pronounce  the  words  loga¬ 
rithms  and  conic  sections,  to  speak  vicious  French,  and  unpardonable 
German,  she  is  pronounced  by  her  Alma  Mater  to  be  amply  qualified 
to  fill  any  position  in  that  fortunate  society  where  her  lot  may  be  cast, 
even  down  to  teaching  school,  if  she  should  condescend  to  do  the 
work.  Many  have  told  me  that  they  regretted  exceedingly  that  more 
of  their  time  had  not  been  spent  in  acquiring  a  thorough  knowledge 
of  the  primary  branches.  They  had  learned  too  late,  that  they  were 
largely  ignorant  of  what  they  were  required  to  teach,  and  the  once 
highly-prized  diploma  was  only  a  source  of  mortification.  It  is  hoped 
that  the  time  may  speedily  come,  when  the  teachers  in  these  schools 
will  prove  themselves  to  be  wise  master-builders,  workmen  who  need 
not  to  be  ashamed. 

Allusion  has  been  made  to  the  use  of  the  spelling-book  in  the  prima¬ 
ry  departments.  It  is  a  great  stumbling-block,  and  should  never  be 
placed  in  the  hands  of  a  child  until  he  has  passed  through  the  third 
reader.  What!  says  one,  will  you  not  teach  him  how  to  spell?  By 
all  means,  teach  him  how  to  spell.  Require  him  to  spell  all  the  words 
in  the  three  readers.  Ask  him  to  spell  words  in  the  Arithmetic  and 
Geography  which  he  studies.  Let  him  write  them  on  the  blackboard. 
By  this  means  he  will  be  obliged  to  notice  the  construction  of  words 
closely,  and  learn  to  spell  a  large  majority  of  the  words  which  he  may 
have  occasion  to  use  through  life.  Let  the  drill  be  especially  thorough 
on  such  words  as  sure,  which ,  tongue,  field ,  sieve ,  debt,  February , 
twelfth ,  parallel,  infiamation,  business ,  etc.  Write  lists  of  such  words 


ini  the  blackboard,  mid  dwell  on  them  until  they  ate  thoroughly  mas* 
tered.  A  vast  amount  of  time  is  wasted  in  requiring  children  to  spell 
again  and  again  words  with  which  they  are  perfectly  familiar,  such 
as  boy ,  dog ,  cat ,  rat ,  pig,  etc.  The  word  boy  is  spelled  one  hundred 
times  where  the  word  tongue  is  spelled  once.  Attack  the  strongholds 
with  energy  and  determination,  and  do  not  flag  until  they  are  taken; 
but  be  careful  how  you  waste  your  time  and  energy  in  harassing  your 
captives. 

A  few  words  concerning  Arithmetic.  Enough  time  is  not  given 
to  teaching  children  to  read  and  write  numbers.  The  utmost  care¬ 
lessness  is  practiced  in  writing  numbers.  Examine  the  work  on  nine- 
tenths  of  the  blackboards — high  schools  included — and  what  wretched 
apologies  for  figures  meet  your  eyes.  The  sight  of  these  caricatures 
would  be  enough  to  drive  a  Hogarth  or  Punch  frantic  with  jealousy. 
Teachers  in  many  cases  set  the  example.  Many  who  can  write  letters 
well,  fail  when  they  write  figures. 

Again,  as  soon  as  children  can  add  two  or  more  numbers  by 
counting  their  fingers,  or  marks  on  their  slates,  they  are  hurried  on  to 
something  else.  When  working  in  division,  they  are  obliged  to  cling 
to  the  written  multiplication-table  with  a  desperation  only  equaled  by 
the  grasp  with  which  a  drowning  man  holds  to  a  plank.  This  is  all 
wrong.  See  to  it  that  the  figures  are  well  formed.  Correct  a  child 
when  he  writes  an  ill-shaped  figure  as  promptly  as  when  he  makes  a 
mistake  in  addition  or  subtraction.  Drill  him  on  addition  till  lie  can 
perform  the  work  correctly  and  promptly.  Pupils  never  grow  too  large 
for  this  work.  Train  them  until  they  are  as  large  as  Goliah,  if  nec¬ 
essary.  A  great  share  of  the  business  transactions  in  life  are  in 
addition;  yet  how  few,  even  of  our  business  men,  are  good  accountants. 
In  teaching  this  part  of  Arithmetic,  the  old  maxim,  “train  a  child  in 
that  which  he  will  have  to  practice  when  he  becomes  a  man,”  is  lost 
sight  of.  See  that  the  multiplication-table  is  mastered,  and  there  will 
be  little  trouble  in  division.  If  we  hurry  over  these  points,  we  only 
subject  the  pupil  to  the  necessity  of  perfecting  himself  in  these  partic¬ 
ulars  after  he  leaves  school.  The  merchant,  for  instance,  wants  a  clerk 
who  can  write  figures  legibly  and  add  correctly,  Many  boys  have 
failed  to  get  good  positions  from  the  fact  that  they  could  not  write 
figures  well. 

A  strong  desire  is  manifested,  on  the  part  of  many  parents,  to 
send  their  children  to  school  before  they  are  of  legal  school  age.  So 
strong  is  this  desire  that  frequently  they  will  send  them  with 
a  lie  in  their  mouths,  by  telling  them  to  say  that  they  are  five  or 
six  years  old,  when  they  are  only  about  four.  In  this  way  the  parent 
succeeds  in  killing  two  birds  with  one  stone,  he  seriously  impairs  the 
moral  as  well  as  the  physical  powers  of  the  child. 

Besides  this  fearful  mistake,  another  is  almost  universally  prac¬ 
ticed.  Many  people  think  that  the  benefit  a  child  derives  from  attend¬ 
ing  school  is  in  direct  proportion  to  the  number  of  hours  he  is  kept  at 
study,  hence  teachers  are  required  to  hold  all  their  pupils,  large  and 
small,  in  school  for  six  hours  per  day.  As  far  as  regards  small 
children,  this  practice  results  in  producing  disorder  in  school,  break¬ 
ing  down  the  health  of  the  pupils  and  discouraging  them.  It  produces 
disorder,  because  little  children  cannot  remain  still  long  at  a  time, 
from  nature  and  force  of  habit.  At  home,  it  would  be  a  great  pun¬ 
ishment  to  an  active  child  to  require  it  to  sit  still  for  twenty  minutes 


BY 


at  one  time*  Children  must  exercise,  and  that  disturbs  the  school. 
Jt  impairs  the  health,  because  their  bones  and  muscles  are  tender  and 
yield  fearfully  to  a  continued  pressure.  If  seats  are  too  high,  the 
thigh-bones  will  be  bent.  Often  curvature  of  the  spine  results,  causing 
not  only  deformity,  but  many  times  incurable  diseases. 

Besides  these  ruinous  results  on  order  and  health,  the  mind — 
which  we  are  so  anxious  to  discipline  and  store  with  useful  knowledge — 
loses  its  power,  and  is  dwarfed  and  gnarled  by  such  treatment.  Now, 
what  is  the  remedy? 

If  children  must  be  sent  to  school  as  soon  as  they  are  six  years 
old,  don’t  keep  them  there  six  hours  per  day.  If  you  want  the  teach¬ 
er  to  earn  his  money  by  staying  at  the  school-room,  keep  him  there 
from  daylight  till  dark,  but  do  not  torture  children  by  compelling  them 
to  sta}'  till  they  are  wearied  and  disgusted  with  school.  We  send 
children  to  school  too  early  in  life.  Given,  two  boys  of  an  equal  ca¬ 
pacity,  mental  and  physical.  Let  one  be  taught  from  books,  com¬ 
mencing  at  the  age  of  four  years;  let  the  other  be  trained  to  observe 
closely  the  things  with  which  he  comes  in  contact,  and  to  speak  cor¬ 
rectly  and  distinctly,  not  allowing  him  to  use  a  book  until  he  is  eight 
years  old,  and  the  probabilities  are  strong,  that  at  the  age  of  fifteen, 
the  boy  who  commenced  the  study  of  books  at  the  age  of  eight  years, 
will  have  far  outstripped  his  companion  who,  in  books,  had  four  years 
the  start. 

Nothing  is  gained  in  the  end  by  crowding  young  children  in  study 
any  more  than  there  is  in  working  colts  too  young.  They  may  perform 
great  feats,  but  it  is  usually  at  such  an  expenditure  of  power  that  in 
Hie  years  to  come,  when  great  efforts  are  required,  they  are  found 
wanting.  Instead  of  carefully  protecting  and  storing  up  power  in  the 
minds  of  children,  we  rob  the  rising  generation  of  their  inheritance, 
and  gain  nothing  but  disappointment  ourselves.  Let  small  children, 
then,  have  short  sessions,  and  short,  wide-awake  lessons,  remembering 
that  where  a  school  is  backward,  or  the  children  small,  the  very  best  of 
teachers  should  be  employed. 

Many  small  children  are  sent  to  school  for  the  avowed  purpose  of 
getting  them  out  of  the  way.  If  parents  cannot  take  care  of  their 
children  let  them  club  together  and  hire  a  nurse,  and  not  coniine  the 
little  ones  in  a  school-room. 


WHITING. 

Notwithstanding  that  so  much  stress  is  laid  on  good  writing,  the 
fact  remains,  that  there  are  comparatively  few  good  writers.  The  let¬ 
ters  are  ill-shaped,  uneven  and  unsightly.  This  is  caused,  in  the  first 
place,  by  carelessness  on  the  part  of  both  teacher  and  pupil.  Pupils 
are  allowed  to  write  as  they  please,  fast  or  slow,  little  or  much.  An¬ 
other  reason  is  found  in  the  frequent  change  of  teachers.  A  man  is 
employed  to  teach  the  winter  school  who  writes  a  bold,  round  hand. 
He  is  required  to  u  set  the  copies.”  His  writing  is  good,  but  not  at 
all  times  alike.  This  change  of  style,  however  slight,  is  injurious.  A 
still  more  fatal  effect  is  produced  by  a  change  of  teachers.  Next  sum¬ 
mer  a  lady  is  employed,  who  writes  a  nice,  angular  hand,  and  the 
pupils  are  required  to  reproduce  her  copies.  The  next  term  another 


38 


man  is  employed,  who  is  a  miserable  writer,  and  of  course  the  pupils 
are  obliged  to  imitate  his  scrawling.  Under  such  a  course  of  training 
is  it  any  wonder  that  at  the  end  of  several  years  of  practice,  very  few 
of  our  boys  and  girls  become  good  writers?  The  only  available  remedy 
is  found  in  the  use  of  printed  copies.  Place  before  the  pupil  a  perfect 
model,  and  strive  earnestly  to  make  him  imitate  it.  The  teacher  should 
never  hear  another  exercise  while  writing  is  going  on.  It  takes  all  his 
available  teaching  power  to  hold  the  class  up  to  good  work. 
Printed  copy-books  are  nearly  as  cheap  as  blank  paper.  Practice 
faithfully  on  the  first  two  or  three  numbers  of  the  series  where  the 
letters  are  spaced,  as  in  reading  and  other  studies.  The  desire  to  prac¬ 
tice  in  the  higher  numbers  is  the  great  stumbling  block  in  the  road 
to  excellence.  In  writing,  as  in  all  other  exercises  where  skill  is 
required,  you  will  save  time  by  “making  haste  slowly.” 


SINGING. 

Singing  should  be  an  every-day  exercise  in  school.  If  the  teacher 
cannot  sing  some  one  in  the  school  can  lead,  and  this  pleasant  part  of 
the  school  exercises  need  not  be  neglected.  Do  not  mistake  loud 
noise  for  music.  Sometimes  it  amounts  to  nothing  but  concert 
screeching.  The  voices  shatter  and  shiver  like  a  sliver  on  a  rail  on  a 
windy  day.  Many  voices  are  utterly  broken  in  early  youth  by  the 
great  strain  to  which  they  have  been  frequently  subjected.  Cultivate 
full,  smooth  tones,  and  build  up  the  voice  carefully,  being  particular 
about  the  clear  enunciation  of  each  word.  Teach  them  to  avoid  that 
fashionable  operatic  style  of  singing  that  rolls,  mixes,  chops  and 
mangles  the  words  until  they  are  utterly  past  recognition,  making  a 
hash  of  screech,  howl,  bray  and  words  which  is  an  offense  to  the  taste 
of  nine-tenths  of  the  hearers.  One  great  reason  of  Mr.  Sankey’s  suc¬ 
cess  as  revival  singer  is  the  fact  that  every  word  he  sings  can  be  under¬ 
stood  Ivy  every  one  in  the  house.  There  is  no  uncertain  sound  about 
them.  If  folks  wish  to  exhibit  compass  of  voice,  let  them  sing  notes, 
and  not  murder  the  innocent  language  in  order  to  show  their  musical 
paces  and  set  people’s  teeth  on  edge.  Sing  a  new  piece  very  carefully, 
remembering  that  music  is  th a,  servant  not  the  master  of  words.  That 
it  is  intended  to  give  words  force,  not  to  bury  them  in  a  chaos  of 
sounds. 


POOR  TEACHERS. 

Complaint  is  made — and  with  good  reason — that  many  teachers 
lack  the  proper  teaching  qualifications  necessary  for  the  work.  This 
is  true,  but  not  strange.  The  wonder  is  that  girls  from  fifteen  to 
twenty  years  of  age  will  take  charge  of,  teach  and  control  from  twenty 
to  forty  children,  many  of  whom  come  from  homes  where  parental 
authority  is  daily  defied  with  impunity,  and  succeed  as  well  as* they 
do.  I  have  known  parents  whose  children  ruled  them  with  a  rod  of  iron, 
complain  about  the  discipline  of  the  school  and  yet  encourage  their 
own  children  in  disorder.  This  lack  of  experience  on  the  part  of 
teachers  is  perpetuated  from  the  fact  that  on  an  average  they  do  not 
teach  more  than  three  years  all  told.  Other  business  is  more  lucrative 


39 


and  pleasant,  and  invites  them  away.  Many  get  married.  Their 
places  have  to  be  filled  with  raw  recruits.  Under  such  circumstances 
it  is  folly  to  expect  to  find  a  perfect  line  of  teachers.  Added  to  all 
this  there  are  some  teachers  who  never  will  succeed,  either  because 
they  are  idle,  lazy,  or  not  apt  to  teach,  just  as  some  farmers  and  me¬ 
chanics  might  practice  until  they  were  as  old  as  Methusala  and  never 
be  able  to  do  a  good  job  of  work.  The  cure  for  all  this  is  to  find 
good  teachers,  and  pay  them  sufficient  wages  to  keep  them  in  the  field. 
But  after  all,  teachers  average  as  well  as  those  in  any  other  calling. 
There  are  very  few  first-class  men  in  any  pursuit.  Ninety-five  per 
cent,  of  the  men  in  mercantile  life  fail  or  quit  the  business.  There 
are  very  few  first-class  hired  men  or  women,  or  farmers  or  mechanics. 

Do  some  teachers  fail  in  school  government?  Thousands  of  pa¬ 
rents  fail  in  family  government.  Are  teachers  tardy?  It  rarely  occurs 
that  men  are  all  prompt  in  point  of  time.  Do  teachers  destroy  school 
apparatus  and  let  school  property  go  to  destruction  generally?  Look 
at  the  reapers,  mowers,  hay  rakes,  wagons,  cultivators,  plows,  harrows, 
threshing  machines,  corn  planters,  hoes,  shovels,  etc.,  that  are  left  to 
rot  in  the  places  where  they  were  last  used.  Nor  are  communities 
any  better.  Two  township  road  graders  that  cost  $675  each,  were  left 
out  all  last  Winter.  The  shrinkage  from  exposure  on  machinery  alone 
in  one  year  would  run  the  schools  of  the  county.  Are  teachers  cruel 
and  exacting?  See  how  many  parents  kick,  cuff'  and  over  work  their 
children  and  horses.  Are  teachers  contentious  and  willful?  Look  at 
the  circuit  court  record  and  see  how  trivial  cases  are  made  to  assume 
great  proportions.  One  suit,  having  for  its  foundation  a  calf  worth 
five  dollars,  cost  the  litigants  over  $2,000.  A  steer  worth  $15  cost 
$1,200  after  being  manipulated  by  the  courts.  The  costs  in  a  slander 
suit  amounted  to  $900  besides  attorney’s  fees.  One  case  of  trespass 
and  damage  cost  $300  besides  attorney’s  fees.  Another  $400.  All 
these  cases  come  from  the  farming  community,  a  class  whose  business 
is  more  conducive  to  “  peace  on  Earth  and  good  will  to  men  ’’  than 
any  other  calling;  a  class  who  denounce  lawyers  with  great  vehemence 
and  bitterness.  Mr.  Whitcomb,  circuit  clerk,  says  that  court  is  held 
ninety  days  each  year,  and  that  the  average  daily  attendance  is  at 
least  one  hundred.  Estimating  each  man’s  time  and  exoenses  at  three 
dollars  per  day,  and’ we  have  the  cost  of  attendance  alone  at  $27,000 
per  year.  These  things  show  the  strength  of  the  will-power  among 
our  peaceable  men.  I  have  heard  lawyers  advise  clients  not  to  go  to 
law,  with  no  other  effect  than  to  cause  them  to  go  elsewhere  for 
counsel. 

I  am  happy  to  state  in  this  connection,  that  for  the  last  sixteen  years 
but  very  few  school  law  suits,  excepting  for  the  collection  of  school 
money,  have  passed  through  the  circuit  court.  I  am  glad  to  say  that 
Col.  Wolf,  Mr.  Jones,  Mr.  Somers,  Judge  Cunningham,  S.  White,  R.  C. 
Wright,  and  Judge  Avers  have  assisted  me  bv  advice  to  the  contend- 
ing  parties,  to  prevent  the  bringing  of  school  suits. 


CONCLUSION. 

In  conclusion  let  ms  suggest  to  school  superintendents  of  other 
.counties  to  write  up  the  early  school  histories  of  their  respective  fields 
of  labor.  Those  who  know  it  will  soon  pass  away.  Let  it  be  re- 


t 


40 


corded  in  a  permanent  form,  and  it  will  become  more  and  more  valu¬ 
able  as  time  rolls  on.  Should  the  publication  of  this  report  induce 
others  to  write  the  educational  histories  of  their  counties,  my  work 
wall  not  have  been  in  vain. 

My  official  work  in  the  schools  of  this  county  is  now  done.  I 
wish  I  could  say  well  done,  but  I  know  that  many  mistakes  have  been 
made.  Some  cherished  hopes  have  fallen  to  the  ground,  but  on  the 
contrary,  other  hopes  have  been  more  than  realized.  People  do  not 
give  that  personal  attention  to  the  education  of  their  children  that  its 
importance  demands.  The  great  aim  of  life  with  many  seems  to  be 
to  amass  wealth,  and  to  leave  their  posterity  in  possession  of  a  goodly 
amount  of  property.  Sometimes  they  see  too  late  that  the  prospects 
of  a  rich  inheritance  has  induced  their  children  to  form  idle,  dissolute 
and  extravagant  habits.  There  are  many  parents  who  dread  the  time 
when  their  heirs  will  assume  control  of  their  property,  from  the  fact 
that  it  will  all  be  squandered,  and  the  ruin  of  the  children  hastened. 
Had  these  parents  devoted  themselves  half  as  zealously  to  the  culti¬ 
vation  of  the  hearts  and  minds  of  their  children,  as  they  did  to  money¬ 
making,  the}^  would  rise  up  to  bless  them,  instead  of  bring¬ 
ing  down  their  gray  hairs  with  sorrow  to  the  grave.  The  heir 
expectant  to  a  fortune  stands  on  dangerous  ground.  Bad  people  will 
cultivate  his  acquaintance,  and  even  furnish  him  with  money  in  order 
to  corrupt  his  soul  and  body,  knowing  that  in  due  time  they  will 
possess  the  wealth  which  the  parents  have  amassed  with  so  much  toil, 
anxiety  and  hardship.  And  not  unfrequently  is  added  to  this  keen 
disappointment  the  curses,  derision  and  reproaches  of  their  ruined 
offspring.  Riches  seldom  pass  to  the  third  generation.  Men  heap  up 
wealth  and  do  not  know  who  will  get  it.  The  wealthy  men  of  to-day 
were,  for  the  most  part,  poor  boys,  with  no  other  capital  than  good 
health,  a  stout  heart,  and  a  determination  to  succeed.  Nearly  all  the 
great  statesmen  and  men  of  profound  scholarship  have  worked  their 
way  up  with  little,  or  no  pecuniary  aid  from  their  parents.  Through 
the  instrumentality  of  the  free  school  they  were  roused  to  greater 
efforts,  until  a  national  reputation  has  been  accorded  them,  no  matter 
how  poor  in  purse  they  may  be.  When  a  man  whose  reputation  de¬ 
pends  on  his  wealth,  loses  all,  very  few  will  do  him  honor.  Let  parents 
beware  how  they  heap  up  riches  at  the  expense  of  the  minds  and  souls 
of  their  children.  Money  is  not  all  that  is  required.  Parents  must 
give  more  personal  attention  to  education. 

But  my  hopes  have  been  more  than  realized  in  the  promptness 
with  which  the  demands  for  school-houses  and  school  privileges  have 
been  met.  Within  the  last  sixteen  years  over  two  hundred  school- 
houses  have  been  built  in  this  county,  many  of  them  in  localities  which 
the  most  sagacious  observers  thought  would  not  be  settled  in  thirty  or 
forty  years  from  that  time.  The  land  is  inhabited.  The  wilderness 
has  become  a  fruitful  field.  The  bells  which  summon  the  children  to 
school  can  be  heard  by  the  inhabitants  of  every  section.  Troops  of 
children,  with  the  flowers  of  the  season  in  their  hands,  flock  to  the 
school-room,  where  they  are  met  by  teachers,  who  not  only  strive  to 
instruct  them  in  Mathematics  and  language,  but  to  teach  them  how 
their  own  bodies  are  constructed,  and  how  to  take  care  of  them,  also 
the  habits  and  structure  of  animals,  from  the  insect  up  to  the  largest 
form  of  animated  nature.  To  this  is  added  lessons  on  plants,  and  thus  the 
perceptive  faculties  are  cultivated,  opening  wide  fields  for  enjoyment  and 


41 


profit.  Said  a  farmer  one  day,  “When  my  children  come  home  and 
talk  about  plants  and  flowers,  I  can  see  how  much  I  have  lost  for  lack 
of  early  training  in  the  natural  sciences.”  Let  all  the  children, 
especially  the  children  of  farmers,  have  this  liberal  culture,  which  the 
State  has  so  wisely  provided.  Says  our  State  Superintendent,  Dr.  Bate¬ 
man,  “What  a  day  will  dawn  upon  our  country,  when  the  toiling 
millions  shall  become  clear-thinking,  strong-minded,  high-souled  men , 
as  well  as  brave,  strong-armed,  industrious  laborers  in  the  fields  of 
physical  industry.  It  would  send  the  sun  of  our  national  glory  quickly 
to  its  millenial  splendor,  and  terminate  the  long  reign  of  demagogues 
forever.  Who  can  estimate  the  loss  to  this  and  every  other  common¬ 
wealth,  because  so  few  of  the  whole  body  of  the  citizens  are  thus 
educated.  The  state  calls,  the  country  claims,  a  thousaud  interests 
demand  such  an  education  of  the  masses.  There  is  no  office,  trade  or 
business,  where  such  men  should  not  be  found.” 

That  I  have  worked  earnestly  and  heartily  in  this  direction  many 
will  bear  witness,  and  when  I  think  of  the  labor,  exposure  and  disap¬ 
pointments  I  have  met,  I  will  also  recollect  the  hearty  co-operation, 
the  words  of  cheer,  the  kind  wishes,  the  hearty  thanks,  the  generous 
hospitality,  which  I  have  experienced  at  the  hands  of  teachers,  pupils 
and  people,  with  abiding  pleasure  and  satisfaction,  hoping  that  my 
successor  may  be  the  recipient  of  the  same  kindness  and  courtesy. 
Early  in  my  official  work  many  were  opposed  to  free  schools — now  but 
very  few  object,  and  they  are  mostly  persons  of  some  wealth  who  have 
no  children.  Now  suppose  for  a  moment,  that  all  the  children  in  this 
county,  under  fifteen  years  of  age,  were  to  be  at  once  removed,  what 
would  be  the  effect  on  the  property  of  these  grumblers?  Their  real 
estate  would  melt  away  astonishingly  before  such  a  calamity. 
Childreivare  the  wealth  and  hope  of  the  country.  Without  them 
industry  would  be  paralyzed,  trade  stagnated,  railroad  and  other  stocks 
shriveled,  and  premature  decay  would  be  suddenly  written  on  every 
work  of  man.  When  the  first-born  throughout  the  land  of  Egypt  died, 
they  parted  gladly  with  three  millions  of  Hebrew  slaves,  they  loaded 
them  with  ornaments  of  gold,  silver  and  precious  stones,  and  hastened 
their  departure  lest  the  rest  of  their  children  should  be  destroyed. 
Nine  plagues  had  been  sent  upon  them  without  any  effect,  but  when 
their  precious  children  were  taken,  their  pride  was  broken,  their 
haughty  spirits  melted,  and  they  quickly  gave  away  millions  of  dollars’ 
worth  of  property  to  save  those  who  were  left.  Shall  we  be  less 
wise  than  those  heathen  Egyptians?  Shall  we  withhold  our  mite 
of  taxation,  while  our  children  are  being  led  down  the  broad  road  to 
death  by  passion,  avarice  and  crime?  Shall  even  the  poorest  child  of 
poverty  in  the  land  call  upon  us  for  that  culture  of  mind  and  soul  that 
will  enable  him  to  work  for  God  and  humanity,  and  be  sent  empty 
away?  Never!  Allow  no  miser  or  demagogue  to  defraud  children  of 
their  birth-right.  That  it  takes  mone}^  is  true,  but  while  we  have  been 
expending  about  two  million  dollars  on  education,  the  property  in  the 
county  has  been  enhanced  in  value  nearly  twenty  millions.  Men  may 
pass  by  our  schools  with  indifference  or  contempt,  stuffed  with  the 
idea  that  weightier  things  demand  their  care;  but  the  fact  remains 
that  all  the  wealth  of  the  county,  the  state,  the  nation,  the  world,  is 
due  to  the  culture  of  the  bodies,  minds  and  souls  of  the  people.  In¬ 
stances  are  abundant  where  millions  of  dollars  of  material  wealth  have 
been  gained  as  the  direct  result  of  educating  one  poor  boy.  The 


6 


42 


wealth  of  the  human  mind  is  immense.  The  gold  mines  of  the  world 
are  dross  compared  with  it.  The  question  of  the  Great  Teacher  “What 
shall  a  man  give  in  exchange  for  his  soul11  has  never  yet  been  an¬ 
swered.  God  has  given  unto  us  this'world  and  all  its  wealth  in  order 
that  we  may  get  wisdom  and  understanding,  and  forget  it  not.  If  we 
lose  sight  of  this  great  fact  we  toil  in  vain.  If  we  keep  it  in  view,  and 
labor  like  wise  master-builders  our  work  will  be  imperishable.  Let  us 
work  earnestly  and  the  result  is  sure,  whether  we  live  to  see  it  or  not. 
Before  “peace  on  earth  and  good  will  to  men”  shall  everywhere  prevail, 
violence,  strife,  oppression,  fraud  and  deceit  must  be  driven  away.  Be 
it  our  work  to  put  down  these  furies  that  destroy  mankind,  and  usher 
in  tiic  reign  of  good-will  and  peace. 

T.  R.  LEAL. 


APOLOGY. 


An  apology  is  due  for  the  delay  in  issuing  this  Report.  In  the 
first  place,  it  required  some  time  to  get  up  the  engravings;  secondly,  af¬ 
ter  two  forms  had  been  set  up,  the  printing  press  was  moved  to  Danville, 
and  it  took  some  time  to  get  in  running  order  again ;  thirdly,  the  boiler 
gave  out  in  a  very  short  time,  and  had  to  be  replaced  by  a  new  one. 
These  delays  are  to  be  regretted,  but  could  not  well  be  avoided. 

NOTICES  OF  ADVERTISEMENTS. 

I  would  call  especial  notice  to  the  advertisements  of  books  given  in 
this  Report.  Among  the  wholesale  dealers  in  school  books,  tin1  firm  of 
Ivison,  Blakeman,  Taylor  &  Co.  is  represented  by  Ed.  Cook,  of  Chicago, 
who  always  does  just  what  he  says.  Cowperthwait  &  Co.  are  represent¬ 
ed  by  Mr.  Belden,  who  is  just  as  reliable  as  Cook.  Some  of  the  school 
books  issued  by  these  firms  have  been  recommended  in  this  county  by 
the  book  committee  last  Spring.  Mr.  Kisseli,  formerly  School  Super¬ 
intendent  for  the  State  of  Iowa,  is  agent  for  I).  Appleton  &  Co.  I  have 
found  him  to  be  as  upright  as  Cook  or  Belden.  lie  sells  Krusi’s  draw¬ 
ing  series,  which  should  be  in  every  school  in  the  land. 

Jansen,  McClurg  &  Co.  have  one  of  the  largest  and  finest  book  stores 
in  the  United  States,  and  have  on  hand  a  full  line  of  books,  from  a 
liundred-dollar-Bible  to  a  five  cent-picture  book  for  a  child.  They  are 
doing  a  great  work  for  the  West  in  the  way  of  furnishing  first-class 
reading  matter  for  the  people. 

A.  H.  Andrews  &  Co.,  are  the  heaviest  dealers  in  school  furniture 
and  school  apparatus  in  the  West. 

E.  V.  Peterson,  of  Champaign  City,  sells  books  at  a  low  margin, 
and  can  furnish  them  by  the  quantity  very  cheap.  Hunt  &  Hollister, 
Cunningham,  Sim,  and  Somers,  of  Urbana,  can  sell  books  at  bottom 
prices.  Hunt  &  Hollister  have  quite  a  line  of  Geological  Specimens 
from  the  Rocky  Mountains. 

Read  the  notice  of  the  Illinois  School  Master.  All  school  officers 
and  teachers  should  subscribe  for  it. 

Wm.  H.  Tyler  &  Co.,  of  Chicago,  can  furnish  engravings  of  almost 
anything  from  a  slab  seat  to  a  good  likeness  of  the  human  face,  and  do 
very  cheap. 

Read  all  the  advertisements;  it  will  not  take  much  time-,  and 
may  do  you  much  good. 

•J  o 


GEORGE  SCROGGS, 

JOB  PRINTER, 

BOOKBINDER  AND 

BLANK  BOOK  MAKER, 

CHAMPAIGN,  ILLINOIS. 

The  Champaign  County  Gazette  is 

published  every  Wednesday,  and  specially 
devoted  to  County  and  Local  affairs.  It  is 
Republican  in  politics. 

TERMS,  -  -  $2  PER  YEAR. 

JOHN  W.  SOMERS, 

DRUGGIST. 

This  old  Drug  establishment  is  at  No.  6,  opposite  the 
Court  House, 

URBANA,  -  -  -  ILLINOIS. 

Everything  is  kept  that  is  usual  in  this  line.  Pat¬ 
ronage  of  public  is  respectfully  invited. 

ALEXANDER  SPENCE, 

DEALER  IN 

Groceries,  Provisions  and  Bakery, 

Cor.  Main  and  Market  sts., 

URBANA,  -  -  -  ILLINOIS. 

I  keep  constantly  on  hand  a  full  line  of 

Staple  and  Fancy  Groceries, 

Which  I  will  sell  as  cheap  as  any  house 
in  the  County. 

Special  attention  to  Students  in  delivery  of 
Bread,  Cakes  and  Pies  to  the  University 
once  a  day. 

Clubs  solicited.  All  goods  delivered  free. 


First  Class  Clothing  House. 

Full  stock  of  Men’s  and  Boys’  Clothing  always  on 
hand,  at  low  figures.  Trunks,  &c.,  cheap. 

22  MAIN  STREET, 

URBANA,  -  -  ILLINOIS. 

E.  V.  MILES  &  BRO., 

Proprietors  of  the 

OGDEN  MILLS. 

Best  brands  of  Flour  always  on  hand  at  the 
Mills  and  at  their 

FLOUR  Sc  FEED  STORE, 

49  MAIN  STREET, 

URBANA,  -  ILLINOIS. 

Oats,  Corn,  Meal  and  Mill  Feed,  &c.,  &c.,  by  the  Feed 
or  bushel,  at  the  Lowest  Cash  Price. 

E.  V.  MILES  &  BRO. 


GLOBE  MILLS. 

Merchant  and  Custom  Flour 

Of  the  Best  Brands. 

FLOUR  AND  MEAL 

Strictly  made  from  their  own  Grain 
when  customers  wish. 

Said  by  good  judges  to  be  the  best  finished 
Mill  in  the  United  States. 

WM.  PARK  &  SON, 

Sidney,  Illinois. 

ATTENTION,  FARMERS ! 

GO  TO 

GEORGE  CALL’S 

PLOW  AND  WAGON 

m:y^vtt  e^ycto  ry, 

URBAKTA,  -  ILLINOIS, 

To  buy  Cheap  Plows  and  Wagons. 

Old  plows  made  new,  and  new  plows  warran'ed  to 
scour.  Sold  to  farmers  at  wholesale  prices. 

PLOWS  of  any  MAKE  REPAIRED,  HARDENED  and  POLISHED. 

I  also  manufacture  and  sell  a  RIDING  PLOW  which 
I  warrant  to  do  as  good  work,  with  less  draft,  than  any 
other  Riding  Plow.  Price  for  16  inch  Plow, 
with  16  inch  Rolling  Cutter,  $50. 


JOHN  KEIMUND, 

DEALER  IN 

WATCHES,  CLOCKS 


JEWELRY,  PLATED-WARE, 

AND 


34  Main  St.  URBANA,  ILLS. 

SPECTACLES  A  SPECIALTY. 

Repairing  and  Engraving  promptly  executed. 


NEW  BOOT  A1VD  SHOE  STORE. 
R.  A.  WEBBER, 

DEALER  IN 

BOOTS  &  SHOES, 

No.  16  RACE  STREET, 

URBANA,  -  -  ILLINOIS. 

Repairing*  Bone  on  Short  Notice, 


THE  URBANA  REPUBLICAN 


ESTABLISHED  IN  1869. 


The  Only  Paper  Published  at  the  County  Seat 

of  Champaign  County. 


The  Republican  is  a  48-column  paper, 
and  contains,  weekly,  the  latest  news, 
both  GENERAL  and  LOCAL. 

SUBSCRIPTION  PRICE,  $2  A  YEAR, 

IN  ASVANCjE. 

FRANK  M.  SNYDER,  Publisher. 


JOB  WORK 

NEATLY  AND  PROMPTLY  EXECUTED,  AND 
AT  REASONABLE  RATES. 


W.  W.  &  J.  H.  GRAHAM, 

(Successors  to  John  Gere,) 

DEALERS  IN 

DRY  GOODS, 

NOTIONS,  CARPETS, 

BOOTS  &  SHOES. 

A  full  line  of  Goods  always  on  hand,  at 
prices  that  defy  competition. 

Wo.  3  Street, 

URBANA,  -  -  ILLINOIS. 

M.  TIRRNAN, 

DEALER  IN 

GROCERIES, 

PROVISIONS, 

Queensware  and  Earthenware. 

I'S'o-  3LC3  TV2I ; i i m  S»-fcx*ee't? 

URBANA,  -  -  ILLINOIS. 

I  keep  on  hand  a  full  assortment  of  STANDARD 
and  FANCY  GROCERIES. 

Quality  of  Goods— EIRST  CLASS. 

All  Goods  delivered  in  the  City  FREE  OF  CHARGE. 


WEBSTER,  DAVIES  &  CO., 

Dealers  in 

L  XT  3MC  23  33  H. , 

Grain,  Coal,  &c., 

URBANA,  -  -  -  ILLINOIS. 

Cars  Loaded  on  Short  Notice. 


MORRIS  LOWENSTERN, 

Wholesale  and  Retail  Dealer  in 

Staple  and  Fancy 

DRY  GOODS, 


Boots,  Shoes,  Carpets  and  Oil  Cloths, 
Main  Street,  Urbana,  Ill. 

M.  E.  MONNETT, 

DEALER  IN 


GROCERIES 

-PLINTH} 

FRUITS. 


Goods  Exchanged  for  Produce. 


STO  K.E  7 

COR.  RACE  AND  ELM  STS., 

URBANA,  -  -  ILLINOIS. 


MONROE’S  READERS 


RETAIL  PRICES. 


First  Reader . $  30 

Second  Reader .  50 

Third  Reader .  70 

Fourth  Reader .  84 

Fifth  Reader .  1  25 

Sixth  Reader .  1  50 


LIBERAL  DISCOUNTS  FROM  RETAIL  PRICES, 


For  introduction  into  each  School  in  the  county.  Officially  recommended  by  County  Com¬ 
mittee  for  use  in  Graded  Schools  of  Champaign  county. 

Address, 


\  \  S.  BELDEN, 

25  Washington  Street,  Chicago,  Illinois. 


G.  W.  FLYNN,  J.  H.  WOO  DM  A  NS  EE, 

Manager.  Sec’y  and  Treat. 

ILLINOIS  PRINTING  CO., 

Blank  Book  Makers. 

BOOK  J^ISTJD  JOB 

Printers,  Stationers, 

And  Publishers  of  the 

DANVILLE  NEWS, 

G.  F.  KIMBALL,  Editor. 


Special  Attention  Given  to  Railroad,  Bank  and  County  Work. 

A  FULL  LINE  OF  BLANKS  ALWAYS  ON  HAND. 

DANVILLE, 


ILLINOIS. 


The  Illinois  Industrial  University. 


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This  Scientific  and  Polytechnic  University,  founded  jointly  by  the 
United  States  and  the  State  of  Illinois,  offers 

UNSURPASSED  FACILITIES  FOR  EDUCATION 

In  the  following  Departments: 

I.  The  College  of  Agriculture,  including  the  School  of  Agriculture  and  the  School  of  Horticul¬ 

ture. 

II.  The  College  of  Engineering,  including  the  Schools  of  Mechanical  Engineering,  of  Civil 

Engineering,  of  Mining  Engineering,  and  of  Architecture. 

III.  The  College  of  Natural  Science,  including  the  Schools  of  Chemistry  and  of  Natural 

History. 

IY.  The  College  of  Literature  and  Science,  including  the  Schools  of  English  and  Modern  Lan¬ 
guages,  and  of  Ancient  Languages. 

There  are  also  a  School  of  Commerce,  and  a  School  of  Military  Science. 

ADMISSION. 

The  best  time  for  entrance  is  at  the  beginning  of  the  College  year  in  September,  but 
st  udents  may  enter  at  any  time  if  prepared  to  pass  the  examinations. 

Persons  designing  to  apply  for  admission  next  September  should  notice  carefully  the 
following  conditions  of  admission  and  seek  to  be  thoroughly  prepared.  Students  may  be 
examined  by  County  Superintendents. 

Each  student  is  required  by  law  to  be  at  least  fifteen  years  of  age,  and  to  enter  with  the 
highest  profit  upon  the  studies  of  the  University,  it  is  recommended,  as  a  general  rule, 
that  students  be  at  least  eighteen  years  old  before  entering. 

The  University  is  open  to  both  sexes.  Candidates  must  pass  good  examinations  in 
English  Grammar,  Arithmetic,  Geography,  Hist,  of  the  U.  S.,  Human  Physiology,  Botany 
and  Natural  Philosophy.  If  candidates  for  the  Colleges  of  Engineering  or  Literature,  they 
must  also  pass  in  Plane  Geometry;  and  candidates  for  the  School  of  Ancient  Languages 
must  pass  the  ordinary  examination  in  Latin  and  Greek. 

Tuition  free;  entrance  fee,  $10,  paid  but  once;  incidentals  per  term,  $5. 
Board  in  clubs  $2  to  $2.50  a  week,  in  families  $4  to  $5. 

Circulars  giving  full  information,  on  application  to  J.  M.  GREGORY,  Regent , 

Champaign,  Illinois. 


25,000  Acres  of  Land  for  Sale. — The  University  offers  for  sale  at  reasonable 
rates  and  on  long  time,  25,000  acres  of  carefully  selected  lands  in  Kandiyohi  and  Pope 
counties,  Minnesota,,  and  in  Gage  county,  Nebraska. 


BOOKS  AND  STATIONERY. 

Conceded  to  be  the  Finest  Bookstore  in  the  United  States. — The  Advance. 

FINE  BOOKS  A  SPECIALTY. 

JANSEN,  McCLURG  &  CO., 

IMPORTERS, 

BOOK  SELLERS  and  STATIONERS, 

I  17  and  f  19  STATE  STREET, 


Keep  constantly  in  stock,  as  heretofore,  the  largest  and  best  selection  to  be  found 

in  the  West,  of 

STANDARD  LIBRARY  BOOKS 

In  the  best  editions,  and  in  all  varieties  of  binding. 

ILL  U ST  BA  TED  GIFT  B  O  OKS, 

A  preference  being  given  to  the  most  truly  BEAUTIFUL  and  ARTISTIC  productions  of 

the  English  and  American  presses. 

SPLENDID  ART  WORKS, 

Those  which  reproduce  most  delicately  the  master-pieces  of  the  great  artists,  and  the 

most  attractive  scenes  of  nature. 

THE  CHOICEST  STATIONERY  FOR  LADIES, 

Including  fine  imported  Papers  and  Envelopes,  of  all  sizes  and  tints,  Engraved  Cards, 
Initial  Monograms,  Invitation  and  Wedding  Stationery. 

S  C  II  O  (  )  L  HOOKS. 

We  have  a  far  larger  stock  than  ever  before.  We  solicit  orders  from  the  trade,  and  guarantee 

the  lowest  prices. 

STATIONTEBY. 

Our  facilities  for  supplying  dealers  at  the  lowest  rates  are  equal  to  those  of  any  exclu¬ 
sively  stationery  house.  ©§11“  Proprietors  of  the  superior 

PERI  PEARL  PAPERS, 

Embracing  all  the  different  sizes  and  styles.  These  papers  possess  advantages  over  all 

others,  at  the  prices.  Send  for  samples. 

FINE  FOREIGN  PHOTOGRAPH  ALBUMS. 

We  ask  attention  to  a  very  beautiful  and  unusual  selection  of  imported  Albums,  for  Card 
or  Cabinet  Pictures,  including  MUSICAL  ALBUMS,  of  the  finest  quality  and  in  various  styles. 
jgSggp'*’  Buyers  and  dealers  are  invited  to  call  upon  us  before  making  purchases  elsewhere. 
Correspondence  solicited  from  Library  Committees,  dealers,  and  all  persons  inter¬ 
ested  in  the  purchase  of  Books.  Price  lists,  terms,  etc.,  furnished  on  application. 

A  cordial  invitation  is  extended  to  all  to  visit  our  new  and  beautiful  store,  and  ex¬ 
amine  our  stock  at  their  leisure. 


JANSEN,  McCLURG  «fc  CO. 


STAN.  L.  CONKLIN, 

PHOTOGRAPHER, 

Blacksbaw’s  Block, 

URBANA,  -  -  -  ILLINOIS. 

Bon  Tons  6  for  $1.00.  Enlarging  a  Speci¬ 
alty. 


A  NEW  DRUG  HOUSE. 

A.  P.  CUNNINGHAM  &  CO., 

No.  19  Main  Street, 

URBANA,  ILLINOIS. 

Drugs  and  Medicines,  Plain  and  Fancy  Sta¬ 
tionery,  School  and  College  Books,  Miscel¬ 
laneous  Books,  Drafting  Instruments. 


GARDNER,  CURTISS  &  BURPEE 

BANKERS, 

URBANA,  -  ILLINOIS, 

Transact  every  branch  of  Legitimate  Bank¬ 
ing.  Passage  tickets,  to  and  from  England, 
Ireland,  Scotland,  and  Continental  Europe 
always  at  lowest  rates. 


THURMAN  HOUSE, 

URBANA,  -  -  ILLINOIS. 

D.  F.  THURMAN,  Propr. 

This  is  a  new  Hotel,  situated  on  Main 
Street,  in  the  business  centre  of  town. 
House  new,  Furniture  all  new. 

Prompt  attention  to  guests.  Good  Sample 
Room  for  traveling  Agents. 


EADS  &  WILCOX, 

REAL  ESTATE  ^GGEISTTS, 

AND 

ABSTRACTERS  OF  LAND  TITLES. 

Titles  examined  and  perfected. 
CHAMPAIGN,  -  -  ILLINOIS. 

S.  BERNSTEIN’S 

Fair  and  square  dealing 

CLOTHING  HOUSE. 

Best  Goods  at  lowest  prices.  Full  stock  of 
Men’s  and  Boys’  Clothing  always  on  hand. 

41  Main  Street,  Champaign. 


D.  APPLETON  &  CO.’S 

PUBLICATIONS. 


CORNELL’S  GEOGRAPHIES. 

Revised  Edition — The.  Best,  the  Cheapest ,  the  mostPop- 

ular. 


New  Primary  Geography . $  0  90 

New  Intermediate  Geography .  1  50 

New  Physical  Geography... .  1  60 

Outline  Maps .  15  00 


Surpass  all  others— 1st,  in  Philosophical  arrange¬ 
ment;  2d,  in  Gradual  Progression;  3d,  in  Modeof  Memor- 
izing  ;  4th,  in  Full  Explanation  ;  5th,  in  Agreement  of 
Maps  with  Text ;  6tli,  in  Maps,  Illustrations,  Text  and 
Execution  ;  in  fine,  every  feature  of  a  good  Geography. 

MATHEMATICAL  SERIES. 

Appleton's  Arithmetics, 


Primary  Arithmetic,  30  Mental  Ar . $0  45 

Elementary  Arithmetic .  0  50 

Practical  Arithmetic .  1  00 

Key  to  Prac.  Arithmetic  (for  teachers) .  0  20 

Higher  Arithmetic  . , . 


ENGLISH  GRAMMAR  AND  COMPO¬ 
SITION. 


Quackenbos’s  Primary  Grammar . @0  50 

Quackenbos’s  English  Grammar .  0  90 

Quackenbos’s  First  Lessons  in  Composition .  0  90 

Quackenbos's  Course  of  Composition  and  Rhet¬ 
oric  . .  1  50 

Bain’s  Composition  and  Rhetoric .  1  75 

HISTORY. 

Quackenbos’s  Elementary  History  U.  S . $0  75 

Quackenbos’s  School  History  U.  S .  1  50 

Taylor’s  Modern  History .  2  00 

Taylor’s  Ancient  History .  2  00 

Taylor’s  Modern  and  Ancient  History .  3  50 

Bayard  Taylor’s  History  of  Germany .  2  00 


These  Histories  commend  themselves  to  the  people  of 
the  whole  country.  They  are  eminently  fair  on  all 
questions  of  religion  and  politics;  eschewing  all  preju¬ 
dice,  they  carefully  avoid  any  attempt  to  bias  the  young. 

KRUSI’S  INVENTIVE  DRAWING. 

Synthetic  Series,  four  books  each . $0  20 

“  Manual .  0  75 

Analytic  Series,  six  books  each .  0  25 

“  Manual .  0  75 

Perspective  Series,  four  books,  each .  0  30 

“  Manual .  0  75 

Geometric  Series . In  preparation 

This  system  is  simple  and  economical,  and  teachers 
unacquainted  with  drawing  can  teach  it  successfully. 
It  begins  as  a  system  of  free  hand  drawing,  and  this  is 
of  the  greatest  advantage  to  pupils  for  blackboard  work, 
as  well  as  for  future  held  sketching. 

SCIENTIFIC  WORKS. 


Alden’s  Intermediate  Philosopy . $1  25 

Munsell’s  Psychology .  1  50 

Nicholson’s  Geology .  1  50 

“  Zoology .  4  75 

Lockyer’s  Astronomy  .  1  75 

Youmans’  Chemistry,  50th  edition .  1  75 

Quackenbos’s  Natural  Philosophy,  (just  revised)...  1  75 

Huxley  &  Youmans’  Physiology .  1  75 

Youmans’  First  Book  of  Botany .  1  00 

Second  Book  of  Botany .  1  50 

Science  Primers,  each .  0  50 


Latin,  Greek,  French  and  Gorman  Series. 
Correspondence  invited.  For  descriptive  Catalogue* 
Circulars,  Price  List,  &c. 

Address, 

A.  S.  KISSELL,  Agent, 

117  &  119  State  Street, 
Chicago,  Illinois. 


A.  H.  Andrews  &  Co., 

Largest  Manufacturers  in  the  Country  of 

SCHOOL,  CHURCH,  HALL,  and  OFFICE 


Andrews’  Patent  “Triumph”  School  Desks.  Six 
sizes.  The  best  made — most  comfortable. 


Outline  Maps,  Charts,  Globes,  School  and  College  Apparatus,  all  kinds. 


jg^^Send  for  Illustrated  Catalogue  to  this  address, 


A.  H.  Andrews  &  Co., 


213  Wabash  Avenue,  CHICAGO,  ILL. 


TJRBANA 

FREE  LIBRARY. 

Open  every  evening, 

From  6  o’clock  to  10  P.  M. 

•  .  *  .  |  . 

WILLIAM  SIM, 

Druggist  and  Bookseller, 

No.  6  West  Main  Street, 
URBANA,  .  -  -  -  ILLINOIS. 

LOUIS  WAGNER, 

UNDERTAKER 

and  Dealer  in 

FURNITURE, 

Main  Street,  opposite  Court  House, 

URBANA,  -  -  -  ILLINOIS. 

Special  attention  to  Office  and  School  Book 
Cases.  See  cases  in  County  Clerk’s  office, 
for  specimens  of  work. 


E.  V.  PETERSON 

Dealer  in 

Books&Stationery, 

No.  9  Main  Street, 

CHAMPAIGN,  ---  -  ILLINOIS. 

The  oldest  and  largest  Book  House  in 
Champaign  County.  The  largest  supply  of 
School  and  Miscellaneous  Books,  Pictures, 
Frames,  Albums,  &c.  Special  attention 
given  to  Teachers’  Schedules  and  School  Rec¬ 
ords,  Blanks,  and  School  supplies  of  all 
kinds. 

BLACKSHAW’S 

% 

Dental  Rooms, 

Over  No,  49  West  Main  Street, 
URBANA,  -  -  -  ILLINOIS. 

Established,  1858. 

ALL  WORK  WARRANTED. 

Special  attention  given  to  filling  with  gold  . 
Anesthesial  administered  when  called  for. 

E.  BLACKSHAW. 


COUNTY .  UNIFORMITY 


inxr 


The  attention  of  the  School  Officers  and  teachers  of  Champaign  County  is  called  to  the 

AMERICAN  EDUCATIONAL  READERS, 

SANDERS’  .SPELLER, 

J±.JSTJD 


iGK.-A.TTS  HOW  PLANTS  CROW, 

PUBLISHED  BY; 

IVISON,  BLAKEMAN,  ^TAYLOR  &  CO., 

|  P‘133  and  135  State  Street,  Chicago,  Illinois. 

American  Educational  First  Header . . . . $0  26 

American  Educational  Second  Reader .  .  40 

American  Educational  Third  Reader . . . .* . . .  50 

American  Educational  Fourth  Reader .  70 

American  Educational  Fifth  Reader . . . . -  1  20 

Sanders’  New  Speller  and  Definer . .  25 

Gray’s  How  Plants  Grow . .  1  12 

These  Books  were  examined  and  recommended  for  use  in  Champaign  County  by  a  Com¬ 
mittee  consisting  of 

S.  L.  WILSON,  County  Superintendent,  Prof.  C.  F.  CAREY, 

Dr.  M.  S.  BROWN,  C.  N.  ANDERSON  J.  M.  MORSE, 

And  adopted  for  County  Uniformity  by  the  Convention  field  at  Urbana,  April  3,1874. 
Special  attention  was  called  to  their  Merit  and  Cost. 

The  following  Superintendents  of  Schools  in  the  County  have  also  heartily  indorsed  these 
Books: 

Prof.  M.  WATERS,  Champaign.  Prof.  J.  W.  HAYS,  Urbana. 

“  I.  N.  WADE,  Sadorus.  “  P.  M.  DILLON,  Ludlow. 

Prof.  A.  D.  KAGA,  Homer. 

«  a* 

Many  others  of  the  most  prominent  Educational  Men  of  the  County  have  approved  of 
them.  We  also  publish  : 

Swinton’s  Condensed  History  of  U.  S . $1  25 

Swinton’s  Word  Primer .  20 

Swinton’s  Speller . . .» .  26 

and  many  other  recent  and  popular  text  books  for  Schools  and  Academies. 

No  better  Books  are  made,  and  the  Cost  is  so  much  less  than  those  now  in  use  as  to  make 
a  great  saving  of  time  and  money  in  their  use.  Call  on  your  Bookseller,  who  will  procure 
them  for  you  at  Greatly  Reduced  Rates  for  first  introduction,  or  Exchange  them  for  the  Old 
Books  now  in  use  at  still  Lower  Rates,  when  they  have  been  properly  adopted  by  the  School 
Board.  If  School  Boards  choose  to  deal  directly  with  the  Publishers,  they  can  address  as 
below. 

|@~OUR  DESCRIPTIVE  CATALOGUE  of  “The  American  Educational  Series 

of  School  and  College  Text-Books,”  and  “  The  Educational  Reporter”  for  May,  a  handsome 
publication  full  of  useful  information,  mailed  free  to  any  address. 

Ivison,  Blakeman,  Taylor  A  Go., 

or,  EDWARD  COOK, 

133  and  135  State  Street,  Chicago,  Illinois. 


